Psychology of eating
"The best way to stay healthy - don't eat when you don't want to, and stop eating when there is still the desire to eat." - Sadi of Shiraz
is a new field of psychology related to topics such as nutrition, eating disorders and body weight. Food, nutrition, eating plays a very important role in life, especially in terms of the physiological regulation of feelings of hunger and satiety (Koszowska, Dittfeld, Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska, 2013). However, as we know, many people around us have problems with proper nutrition, which sometimes results in various disorders in this area. In addition to specific eating disorders, many people around the world struggle with overweight, obesity, or other conditions as a consequence of these - such as hypertension, diabetes. Many people also struggle to maintain a healthy diet. All these problems are addressed with their clients by psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychodietitians and other specialists. In addition to its physiological function, nutrition also fulfils the role of emotional regulation.
It is assumed that eating too much has a negative impact on health, but it should be borne in mind that a lack of food also has a negative impact not only on the physiological functioning of the human body, but also on the psychological sphere. Therefore, nutritional problems are no longer considered only in the medical sphere, but also from a psychological perspective.
Food
Food, eating, tasty dishes not only have a physiological satisfying function, but are also a certain source of pleasure, aimed also at satisfying emotional needs. Unfortunately, a poorly chosen, unbalanced diet can lead to certain pathologies related to nutrition. One of these is obesity, which is unfortunately an increasingly common genetic and environmental condition. It is also associated with today's lifestyle (Koszowska, Dittfeld, Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska, 2013; Pilska, Jeżewska-Zychowicz, 2008; Szweda, 2009; Pietrzykowska, Wierusz-Wysocka, 2008; Cencic, 2010).
Statistics
According to the National Health Service, three in five Poles are overweight and one in four is obese. The statistics are frightening. There is talk of 30% of Poles suffering from obesity in the next few years. Obesity is a disease of civilisation (NFZ, 2022). More than 4.5 million people die worldwide due to obesity (PAP, 2023). According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, approximately 0.9 per cent. of women worldwide may suffer from anorexia and as many as 1.5 per cent. from bulimia. In Poland, on the other hand, it is estimated that about 2% of Poles struggle with anorexia. It affects not only women, but also men of different age. It is also known that the first symptoms of eating disorders may also appear in adolescence. But most occur in the 18-20 age group (pacjent.gov.pl, 2020).
Eating disorders
It should be remembered that obesity itself is a very complex condition, often having its origin in the human psyche, and it is not uncommon for obesity to be associated with other disorders such as depression or bulimia, which in turn require the intervention of a psychologist or psychiatrist (Koszowska, Dittfeld, Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska, 2013; Szweda, 2009; Sosnowska-Bąk, 2009). Unfortunately, the current state of affairs is influenced by many factors, not only genetic, but also those related to culture, which can sometimes impose certain patterns, models of an ideal silhouette. It is known, however, that maintaining a correct figure and, in addition, correct body weight, especially nowadays - in times when we have access to food, which in turn may be associated with its excessive consumption, we live on the run, constant stress, is difficult.
The most common eating disorders include bulimia, anorexia, orthorexia, or compulsive overeating. So let's take a brief look at how one disorder differs from the other.
Bulimia - psychological gluttony is associated with bouts of overeating and undertaking activities to avoid weight gain (Żechowski, 2023).
Anorexia – associated with targeted weight loss (Żechowski, 2023).
Compulsive overeating - similar to bulimia, but without undertaking activities to avoid weight gain (Koszowska, Dittfeld, Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska, 2013).
Orthorexia – is a kind of obsession with healthy food. It is a condition that has a psychological basis and is associated with a disturbance in food intake. Sometimes it happens that the first symptoms are underestimated because they do not appear to be dangerous - a change in diet, the elimination of unhealthy food ingredients; then the use of only natural foods, and in addition, the reading of labels related to the composition of the ingredients. (Kałędkiewicz, Doboszyńska, 2013).
Hunger-desire
What motivates us to eat is hunger and thirst. The hunger-satiety centre is located in the hypothalamus. However, it is important to remember that emotional factors are also involved in the eating process. It has been proven that negative emotions can increase or decrease the desire for food. In addition, stress and inability to cope with stressful situations may be associated with increased food intake. It is important to remember that food satisfies emotional needs. It is therefore not surprising that we tend to eat carbohydrates when our mood is low. This releases endorphins and calms us down. (Koszowska, Dittfeld, Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska, 2013; Pietrzykowska, Wierusz-Wysocka, 2008).
How do you help?
People with eating disorder problems most often go to a psychologist. Obviously, both psychological and psychodietetic support, as well as undertaking therapy, including psychotherapy, can bring positive results. However, it should be remembered that in the course of recovery, the help of a psychiatrist, as well as that of a dietician, will also, or even primarily, be indispensable. Cognitive-behavioural as well as psychodynamic psychotherapy are among the most effective strands of psychotherapy and most often recommended for individuals with eating disorder problems.
This article aims to provide an overview of eating disorders. The text, however, is not exhaustive of this complex issue.
Bibliography:
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Author
dr n. med.i n. o zdr. Adrianna Othmani
Psychologist specialising in clinical and personality psychology, transport psychologist
Assistant Professor at the Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu-National Louis University in Nowy Sącz
Specialist in clinical psychology, sub-specialisation neuropsychology
