Eating Our Feelings: How This Underrated Emotion Affects Our Relationship with Food
We’ve all been there: reaching for our favorite ice cream after a rough day or indulging in comfort food to celebrate a victory.
Emotions and food are deeply intertwined in our lives.
But did you know that specific eating issues, like cravings, binge eating, and even food addiction, are mainly linked to one powerful emotion?
Loneliness.
Food is more than sustenance; it’s woven into the fabric of our emotional lives. Scientists have long suspected a connection between loneliness and disordered eating.
Still, a recent study published in JAMA Network Open delves more profoundly, exploring how loneliness affects our brain’s relationship with food.
The Study: Unveiling the Brain’s Response to Loneliness
Researchers focused on understanding why loneliness seems to intensify our food cravings and eating issues. To do this, they conducted a study with female participants, assessing their feelings of loneliness and any struggles with eating.
Using MRI scans, they measured brain activity as participants viewed various images — savory foods, sweet foods, and non-food items — after a six-hour fast. The…
