Emotional eating on the rise during pandemic — nutritionists

AMMAN — As the world deals with uncertainty during the pandemic, more people are experiencing emotional eating, according to experts.

“Emotional eating has been on the rise since the onset of the pandemic, Amani Omar, a nutritionist, told The Jordan Times over the phone on Saturday.

According to Omar, emotional eating is consuming large quantities of food that have mood-lifting qualities as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, sadness, in addition to any other negative emotions.

“Many people turn to food for comfort,” Omar said, noting that during this unprecedented pandemic, a lot of people are working from their homes, schools and universities are closed, physical activity has decreased, all of which reversely affected their daily lives.

Economic disruption, the continuous lockdowns and curfew have also brought about negative emotional effects, Omar noted.

Noor Ahmad, a Jordanian citizen in her 20s told The Jordan Times over the phone that since the beginning of the pandemic-related lockdowns, she has gained seven kilogrammes.

“During the lockdown I kept eating sweets and junk food, as a way to fill the void and to relieve my stress,” she added.

Samar Khalil, a Jordanian citizen in her 40s, said that she has been facing many problems with her kids. Due to the pandemic, play grounds and schools were closed and the only way to “cheer them up a bit was by taking them out to buy sweets from the neighbourhood shop”.

“Emotional hunger is a new term, so now I could differentiate between physical and emotional eating,” she noted.

Understanding how to deal with the current stress, as well as, being aware of all the surrounding circumstances and learning to fight cravings by finding other ways to access positive feelings, play a big role in solving emotional eating problem, said Shaima Taha, a nutritionist.

The pandemic has created uncertainty in nearly each and every aspect of people’s lives. The continuous adjusting and readjusting to the government’s pandemic-related measures and guidelines, led to discomfort, which affects eating behaviours, she added.