After a typical workday, you immediately go to the kitchen to get a bite to eat when you get home. Not only was the food you ate not dinner, but you weren’t even hungry. Still, you consumed it. Perhaps out of habit?
Many people associate eating out of habit with indulging in an abundance of snacks after supper or with the occasional need for food.
Others may be attracted by food’s appearance and end up consuming it without realising it. Consider overindulging in chips simply because you had a package at home. Or, savouring a pani puri just because your fave chaat vendor happened to be there.
Boredom and stress act as triggers, prompting some people to go for a snack.
Eating while not truly hungry is a habit that can be harmful to your health. This careless eating habit is adopted by many for a variety of reasons. The good news is that controllability exists.
When we’re not even hungry, why do we eat?
Numerous psychological and environmental elements have an impact on the idea of eating out of habit or boredom.
As stated by Ritika Samaddar, regional head of nutrition and dietetics at Max Super Speciality, “the body sends signals to the brain by the hormones that the stomach is empty and hence we eat food, but eating when one is not hungry is a ‘hunger habit’ which is developed over time.”
It may happen for a number of reasons. For example, a person could form the practice of routinely snacking every two to three hours, even when they are not hungry. This could involve having a snack after supper. In a similar vein, eating may be used to divert attention from physical pain. Furthermore, the dietitian states that emotions of hunger might be triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, or unpleasant thoughts.
Nutritionist Deepti Khatuja goes on to say that ghrelin, or the hunger hormone, is released when a person experiences stress or emotion. It makes you feel hungry and want to eat more.
Impact on well-being
You may not even be aware that your seemingly innocuous practice of mindless eating can be the cause of major illnesses.
This need leads to indulgence in food, which is typically not tracked or recorded in terms of calories consumed. “It usually entails consuming junk food, which is high in calories and can result in overweight or obesity issues. Examples of these foods are sweets and fried foods,” explains Deepti Khatuja, head clinical nutritionist at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
The nutritionist continues, “Many degenerative diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and also certain types of cancer are primarily caused by being overweight or obese.”
The scientists claim that eating out of habit rather than hunger is another factor contributing to the rise in kid obesity as well as early onset diabetes and hypertension. Khatuja continues, “This is raising the cost of living and decreasing the quality of life.”
How to use your power
You may manage your cravings to eat when you’re not hungry by adopting a thoughtful attitude towards food and your health.
Recognising your hunger habit is the first of several steps towards controlling it. It’s critical to understand how it affects you and to recognise the triggers.
The following are some strategies for controlling eating when not hungry, as recommended by Dr. Chandrima Misra Mukherjee, a clinical psychologist at Artemis Hospital, Gurugram:
- Eat only when you are truly in need of food. You might ponder that for a moment by asking yourself, “Why am I eating?” Just asking oneself this question might help one establish a connection with their body: “Am I truly hungry right now?” What is it that makes me want to grab this food? Is it a bodily sign, like a rumbling stomach signalling hunger, or is it something else entirely, like stress, loneliness, exhaustion, or boredom?
- Meal times should be set and adhered to in order to minimise the likelihood of mindless snacking.
- Arrange wholesome meals and snacks to prevent impulsive purchases (Pro tip: Make sure you consume adequate protein and fibre, since they prolong feelings of fullness).
- Take up hobbies, exercise, or socialising as ways to keep yourself occupied and away from emotional eating triggers and boredom.
- To lessen the temptation to consume them while you’re bored, keep enticing foods out of reach.
- Seek out constructive coping mechanisms, such as journaling, deep breathing exercises, or meditation, to manage stress and emotional triggers.
- Stay hydrated by sipping water throughout the day. Occasionally, what appears to be hunger is actually thirst.
Low-calorie, high-protein natural snacks can help you maintain good health when you know you are eating even when you are not hungry, advises Deepti Khatuja. In order to regulate the hunger habit, nutritionist Ritika Samaddas also advises managing emotions by deep breathing, getting adequate sleep, engaging in greater physical exercise, and picking up a hobby.
Since psychological issues also contribute to this eating behaviour, seeking counselling may be necessary in order to break the hungry habit.
Consider if you are truly hungry the next time you reach for something to eat.
