Overeating may stem from stress, traumatic events or emotional disturbances. Chronic overeating can damage your health and lead to diseases such as diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. Overeating isn't always characterized by being overweight. Many normal-weight individuals fall victim to overeating behavior because of its strong emotional component. Eating for comfort when you aren't hungry can be dangerous to your health.
Long-Term Dangers
Long-term consumption of calories that exceed your daily requirements can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. Your body tries to accommodate the excessive intake of calories by storing fat. People who eat too much on a regular basis may eventually suffer from high body fat percentages or be classified as overweight or obese. Excess weight gain puts increased stress on your skeletal system, causing joint pain and arthritis in your hips, knees and back. High calorie and high fat intakes can lead to high cholesterol, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
Short-Term Effects
Short-term effects of overeating include bloating, flatulence, blood sugar fluctuations, headaches and cravings. Filling your stomach with large amounts of food overwhelms your digestive tract, causing bloating and flatulence. Your body may also respond by producing more insulin, according to the volume of food you have consumed. Insulin is released not only to help digest the carbohydrates you eat, but also for protein and fat. After the food has digested and the insulin has been released, you body can rebound from the high insulin level and cause your blood sugar to drop. The excess insulin circulating in your bloodstream can cause renewed hunger, creating a cycle of fluctuating blood sugar levels. This can eventually lead to diabetes.
Emotional Dangers
Distress over your weight can create an emotional roller coaster that is difficult to get off. You are preoccupied with your weight, which depresses you. Then you eat because of these feelings, but become upset that you have eaten for comfort. This may create a never-ending cycle of eating, weight gain and more depression. Anxiety over your looks is also a factor, which can discourage you from engaging in a workout program. However, exercising is a better means of managing your emotions and can lessen your reliance on eating for emotional comfort.
Overcoming Overeating
Get a handle on your emotional health to alleviate your reliance on eating for emotional comfort. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings to gain new skills for handling stress and negative emotions. Focus on positive thoughts and feelings as the first step in eating a healthier diet with the goal of maintaining a healthy weight. Consult your doctor for an effective weight loss and exercise plan.
