Your body and mind are deeply connected. Just think about how your body immediately reacts 
when you get nervous or anxious: Your palms get sweaty, you feel thirsty, and you may have shortness of breath. 

But the emotional weight gain process, what goes on inside your head, can also have more long-term effects, increasing your risk of health problems. You can even experience emotional barriers to weight loss and be at a higher risk of developing obesity. And so, it's important to be aware that feelings play a big role in losing, gaining, and managing your weight.

None of us can be light and happy all the time - it's natural to be sad, tired, angry, bored, anxious, or lonely. We all find different ways to deal with bad or uncomfortable feelings. For example, some may binge on a tv-series instead of getting the sleep they need. Others may turn to smoking, drinking, gambling, or shopping to cope.

Some people use food to deal with difficult situations and feelings when nothing else works. Overeating or eating tasty and energy-rich food can be a way to ease the pressure or distract yourself. Psychologists call this behaviour emotional eating. We all do it sometimes, and some of us do it more than others. 

Stress, trapped emotions and weight gain often intertwine, making you turn to food as a source of comfort. So can major life events like starting a family, changing jobs, or moving home. Emotional eating might work and make you feel better in the short term. But over time, it can become a challenge of its own. And when you're trying to manage your weight, eating can be one of the emotional barriers to weight loss or your obesity management programme.
 

Once the habit of emotional eating is formed, it can often take on a life of its own. Your emotions can also become so tied to your eating habits that you eat whenever you're stressed or sad without even thinking. Many emotional eaters say that it feels like any other addiction, like smoking.

This can create a vicious cycle. It starts when you eat to soothe your emotions, which brings about temporary relief. But afterward, you feel bad or ashamed for overeating – which starts the cycle all over again. 

The cycle is also fuelled by the negative experiences , a classic example of emotional barriers people living with obesity often face. People living with obesity often feel rejected by society. They may also feel that they don't get the support or understanding they need from their family, friends, or doctors. Breaking the cycle of emotional eating and other emotional barriers to weight loss can be difficult under these conditions.

In this video, Audrey Roberts talks about the stigma she faces every day as a person living with obesity.
 

Emotional eating isn't only caused by the hassles of daily life. It may even be a response to early life events, such as childhood trauma.

This was true for Vicki Mooney, who turned to food to cope with growing up in a home with an abusive father. By the time she was 28, she weighed 180 kilograms.

“In order to deal with the trauma, I would have a bar of chocolate. I would go to my room and even though I was going through those emotions, feelings, and pain, I would eat my bar of chocolate and feel a bit of comfort,” she says.

Emotional eating can derail your efforts to lose or manage your weight. But, you can get back 
on track.

It might be reassuring to know that making even small changes to how you live and think can significantly impact your weight loss and mental health. Sometimes we just need someone else’s point of view to see the changes we need to make – and how to make them. That person can be a friend, a family member, or a psychologist.

To lessen or stop emotional eating, you can start by looking at the source of your negative emotions. Sometimes, simply discovering what they are can be an important step in overcoming the emotional barriers to weight loss. A psychologist can guide you on this journey.

Another approach is to change the way you respond to your feelings. You can learn and practice strategies for managing stress and other emotional barriers to weight loss. If you need more support, behavioural therapy can help you understand and change unhealthy patterns of thinking, eating, and acting. 

Partner with your healthcare professional or other trusted healthcare providers (like obesity care providers) to get started.