Are You an Emotional Overeater?

December 12, 2010 – 1:23 am

Your feelings of anger, frustration, loneliness, sadness, boredom, or even happiness might be causing you to overeat. You are probably an emotional overeater.

By: Andrea Metcalf

Take this short quiz to find out.

1. I turn to food when I’m sad, disappointed, or lonely. Yes ___   No ___
2. I often eat past the point of fullness. Yes ___   No ___
3. When I’m upset, I crave sweets or salty snack foods. Yes ___   No ___
4. When I go to parties or dine out with friends, I tend to overeat. Yes ___   No ___
5. If I eat too much, I feel guilty afterwards. Yes ___   No ___
6. I eat more than I should when I’m home alone or bored. Yes ___   No ___
7. My moods have the biggest influence on when and how I eat. Yes ___   No ___
8. I like to nurture family and friends with food. Yes ___   No ___
9. I think about food a lot. Yes ___   No ___
10. I am unhappy with my weight, but I overeat anyway. Yes ___   No ___
11. Eating is my favorite activity. Yes ___   No ___
12. I tend to clean my plate; I don’t like to waste food. Yes ___   No ___
13. I binge habitually. Yes ___   No ___
14. The large amount of food I eat embarrasses me. Yes ___   No ___
15. Sugary foods tend to calm me down. Yes ___   No ___

SCORING
Count up your yeses and your noes.

If you answered yes to eight or more questions:
Your feelings of anger, frustration, loneliness, sadness, boredom, or even happiness might be causing you to overeat. And you are probably an emotional overeater. You may be eating too much or eating chaotically, but what you are really feeding is something in your life: relationship problems, broken dreams, financial worries, or problems at work. Try the strategies in this chapter, but don’t be afraid to seek professional help.

If you answered yes to four to seven questions:
You may be struggling with some emotions from time to time. You are a borderline emotional overeater. At this point, it will be easier to get your eating habits under control by applying some of the strategies in this chapter.

If you circled three or fewer yeses:
You probably aren’t an emotional overeater. You may occasionally use food to cope, but for the most part, it doesn’t interfere with your ability to manage your weight.

© 2010 Andrea Metcalf, author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Days Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body.

About the Author:
Andrea Metcalf, author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body, has been teaching fitness, training clients, and coaching on subjects of nutrition and health for the past 27 years.  Her inspiring and approachable personality has helped build her reputation as a nationally known fitness expert.  Andrea is a regular contributor of MORE, Self, and Women’s World, among other magazines, and a regular blogger on Oprah.com. She frequently appears on Today, Good Morning America Health, NBC5 in Chicago, and the nationally syndicated Better TV.

Andrea holds a BS in Exercise Science and has grown her career by creating unique programs of her own including Paws-ilates, Sil-ilites, and Live-ilates, featured on Oprah.com.  Over the years, Andrea has written numerous articles on health and fitness.  She is a national fitness presenter, motivational speaker, and has a series of fitness DVDs.

She also counsels and trains individuals, leads “Naked Fitness” groups, and speaks to companies across the country, and is a national spokesperson for Sketchers Shape-Ups, Elations, Sears, The American Heart Association and others.  Andrea has three children and lives in Chicago.

For more information please visit: http://www.andreametcalf.com and follow the author of Facebook and Twitter.  Learn more about Naked Fitness at http://www.nakedfitness.com

Photo: Nejron