Overeating: Why do we do it?

While 55% of us are either overweight or obese, despite our best efforts we tend to reach for the biscuit tin for reasons other than hunger. Find out some common triggers for overeating and the best ways to beat them.

1. You eat to relieve stress
Pressure at home or at work can soon have you reaching for the chocolate. When stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol as part of the 'fight or flight' response to danger. The body assumes that, as high levels of cortisol are being released, it will be followed by physical activity to cope with the perceived danger. This is why it craves food to fuel it.

Break the cycle
Think about ways in which you can reduce the stress in your life. Maybe you need to delegate more, take on less, or re-evaluate your relationships at home or at work
Set aside some time every day for formal relaxation. Yoga and meditation are both good choices
Get active. Even a five-minute walk can help reduce cortisol levels.

2. You feel hungry all the time
If you're one of those people who automatically piles up their plate at every meal because they reckon they were born with a big appetite and there's little they can do about it, think again. According to the experts, no one is born an overeater. Eating too much is just a bad habit which, like other bad habits, can be broken - and it only takes about three weeks.

Break the cycle
Give junk and processed foods a miss and go for wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, yoghurt and lean meat instead. They will fill you up quickly and leave you feeling satisfied for longer
Avoid super-sized products
Use a smaller plate, put your fork down between mouthfuls and chew slowly
Weighing and measuring your food can help retrain your eye.

3. Temptation gets the better of you
Adverts on the TV, sweets at the checkout, fast-food outlets on the high street... if you're not careful, you give in to the temptation you see on every corner. The human body evolved to survive famines, so it's only human nature to stock up if food is readily available and so your waistline grows.

Break the cycle
Distract yourself, for example by phoning a friend, having a bath, putting on some music, reading a newspaper, or walking past as fast as you can
Ride it out – if you don't eat, the intensity of the craving should soon subside
Eating something healthy, such as a piece of fruit, can take away the pang for a burger or chocolate.

4. You eat for comfort
Feeling lonely, angry or anxious can quickly send you to the fridge for a bout of comfort eating. Certain foods are known to alter moods and eating can be a quick way to make you feel better in the short term. But you are using food as an emotional crutch rather than facing up to your feelings.

Break the cycle
Try to work out why you are stuffing your face when you may not even be hungry. Are you bored, lonely, angry? Face up to these feelings, then try to find a non-food way of dealing with them
Stay in tune with your feelings and see if you can identify a pattern; working out what sets them off may help you to find other ways of coping rather than reaching for food
Try to get rid of pent-up emotions - go for a run, get on the squash court or simply thump your pillow as hard as you can
Be kind to yourself and indulge in some pampering 'me' time. Have a long, scented bath or go for a walk in the park.

5. You aren't getting enough sleep
Too little shut-eye can leave you grumpy and less likely to make wise food choices, but it can also disrupt a series of metabolic and hormonal processes that help to control appetite, says US research. For example, levels of the hormone leptin, which plays an important role in signalling to your brain that you've eaten enough, are reduced by sleep deprivation.

Break the cycle
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking, especially in the late afternoon and evening
Have a warm bath just before turning in
Don't exercise too close to bedtime – it can raise your metabolic rate and leave you buzzing
Go to bed and wake up at regular times.

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