If you struggle with overeating, it’s easy to blame yourself and assume that you don’t have enough willpower. The truth, though, is that there are legitimate, science-based reasons why you might eat past the point of comfort.

Listed below are 6 reasons why you might be overeating, complete with tips on how to combat these issues and create a healthy, intuitive relationship with food.
 

REASON 1: CHRONIC STRESS

Chronic stress can cause you to engage in a wide range of potentially problematic behaviors, including overeating.

According to the American Psychological Association, 38 percent of adults overeat or consume unhealthy foods every month because of stress, and 49 percent engage in these behaviors at least once per week.

Why do so many people turn to food when they’re faced with ongoing, chronic stress? Researchers have discovered a couple of possible explanations, including changes in hormone levels and increased cravings.

Hormonal Changes
In the short-term, stress can suppress a person’s appetite. When they experience long-term, chronic stress, though, they experience hormonal shifts that can increase their appetite.

During times of stress, a hormone called cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands.

When cortisol circulates in the bloodstream for an extended period of time, the body’s hunger signals increase. As a result, you may be more prone to overeat, even if your body’s calorie needs haven’t changed.

Increased Cravings
High levels of cortisol have also been shown to increase cravings for sugary, fatty foods like chips, cookies, fast food, etc.

Not only are these foods typically made from ingredients you want to avoid, but they’re also hyper-palatable. Hyper-palatable foods taste good and are easy to consume in large quantities. This means you can take in a large number of calories before you start to feel full.
 

REASON 2: LACK OF SLEEP

Ideally, you would get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. This is often easier said than done, though, which is why one-third of adults in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep.

Between work-related stress, family-related worries, and the latest Netflix shows that everyone is binging, it’s easy to find yourself sacrificing sleep to focus on other things. Not only will this leave you feeling desperate for an extra-large cup of coffee the next morning, but it can also increase your chances of overeating.

The link between poor sleep and overeating has to do, largely, with hormones. Sleep plays a key role in regulating various hormone levels, including levels of leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin is a hormone that contributes to feelings of fullness, and ghrelin is associated with feelings of hunger. When you lose sleep, your levels of ghrelin increase, and your levels of leptin decrease. This can result in your feeling hungrier and being more prone to overeating.
 

REASON 3: MINERAL IMBALANCES

Deficiencies in certain minerals can speed up cell metabolism.

At first, the idea of a faster metabolism might seem like a good thing — doesn’t that mean you’ll lose weight more easily? In the case of cell metabolism, though, slower is actually better.

Fast cell metabolism causes the cells to consume energy more quickly. This can result in symptoms like increased sweating, “hyper” behavior, and increased hunger. If you’re constantly feeling hungry, you’re likely going to find yourself eating more frequently and potentially overeating.

If you’re deficient in the following minerals, you may be more prone to overeating:

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Selenium
• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Zinc

Don’t just assume you’re dealing with a deficiency in one or more of these minerals because you’re overeating or experiencing heightened cravings. You should also test before you start taking supplements or drastically increasing your intake of any of these nutrients.

Testing lets you know exactly what you’re missing. It provides you with a more personalized protocol for addressing your health from the inside out, too.
 

REASON 4: DIET CULTURE

The term “diet culture” gets thrown around a lot these days. What do we actually mean when we talk about it, though?

Diet culture refers to the widespread belief that a person’s appearance, size, and body shape are more important than their physical and mental health. It normalizes the idea of dieting (cutting calories, eliminating certain foods or food groups, etc.) to change one’s body size and shape.

When you stop and think about it, it’s easy to see how pervasive diet culture is in our society.

You don’t have to scroll very long on social media before you see dozens of people claiming that their low-carb, keto, paleo, or vegan diet is the optimal way to eat, and topics like losing those last 5 pounds or squeezing into a smaller bathing suit are seen as perfectly normal dinner table conversation.

When diet culture invades every aspect of your life, it’s easy to fall victim to it. You may find yourself striving to lose weight or change your body without even realizing it.

Maybe you limit the size of your meals throughout the day, only to overeat later at night because you’re so hungry. Perhaps you fill your plate with foods you don’t enjoy — because someone told you they’re lower in calories or better for you — and then go back later to eat a more satisfying meal.

For most people, engaging in behaviors that are deemed acceptable by diet culture doesn’t help them to lose weight or make meaningful improvements to their health. It just leads to a vicious cycle of restriction, overeating, and shame. 
 

REASON 5: LACK OF NOURISHMENT

On a similar note, you may find yourself overeating frequently because you’re not adequately nourishing your body.

If you consistently under-eat because you’re trying to lose weight, you’re probably not getting a sufficient amount of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in your diet. This, in turn, can leave you feeling hungry and may increase your cravings.

Those who are struggling with overeating may benefit from looking more closely at the construction of their meals. Do they have a sufficient source of protein on their plate? How about a source of carbohydrates and fiber? Are there any healthy fats?

Without an appropriate amount of each of these key nutrients, you’ll be more likely to leave the table feeling hungry, which can lead to you doubling back later to eat more.
 

REASON 6: IGNORING HUNGER CUES

Finally, constantly ignoring your hunger cues can eventually lead to overeating.

For a short while, you may be able to get away with ignoring signs of hunger like your stomach growling, shakiness, nausea, fatigue, or persistent thoughts of food. You can’t fight hunger forever, though.

Eventually, you’ll run out of willpower and will give in to those cues, grabbing whatever food you can get your hands on. You’ll likely end up eating more than you would have if you’d just eaten when you first started feeling hungry, too.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are plenty of reasons why you might find yourself overeating, and none of them have to do with you simply not being strong enough or lacking willpower.

If you’re chronically stressed, depleted, or dealing with nutrient imbalances, you’re going to be more prone to hunger and more prone to over-consuming food. The good news is that with proper testing and assessments, you can get to the bottom of your tendency to overeat and start making positive changes to your diet.

Click here to learn more about our nutrient testing solutions or to order yours today.