The expert spoke about the causes of compulsive overeating and ways to combat it.

Compulsive overeating is characterized by the consumption of excessive amounts of food without physical hunger, mainly under the influence of emotional factors. On April 9, Ksenia Zabaturina, a psychologist on eating disorders and an expert at the Grow Food ready-to-eat healthy food service, told Izvestia what compulsive overeating is and how to stop "seizing" emotions.

Zabaturina notes that the habit of "seizing" emotions is formed due to the production of dopamine and other neurotransmitters when eating delicious food.

"Our brain associates food with positive emotions. Therefore, sometimes we want to eat, even if we are not physically hungry," she said.

Among the key causes of compulsive overeating, the psychologist identified emotional states: stress, anxiety, boredom, sadness. In this case, food serves as a means to combat negative feelings.

In addition, the specialist explained that in stressful situations, the body produces cortisol, which increases appetite. According to her, this reaction is genetically determined. It is aimed at accumulating energy in moments of feeling danger, so a person needs to eat more.

Zabaturina also noted the influence of conditioned reflexes, which are inherent in a person from an early age.

"Many people associate early childhood food with comfort. When we were sad, fell down, or scratched our knees, they gave us some treats. This created a kind of conditional connection between our emotions and meals," said the psychologist.

However, according to the expert, the problem of overeating is often irregular diets and strict diets, followed by breakdowns.

To solve the problem, Zabaturina recommends, first of all, to establish a balanced diet. An important aspect is the practice of conscious food consumption, when a person focuses on the taste sensations and texture of food. The expert also advises finding alternative ways of emotional relief through physical activity, hobbies, or socializing.

The specialist noted that when compulsive overeating becomes a serious problem, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist at least once a week.

Earlier, on March 21, Daria Pronina, an endocrinologist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia about the dangers of feeling hungry before going to bed. According to her, patients with diabetes mellitus and cholelithiasis should not fall asleep feeling hungry, since starvation in such cases can lead to a significant deterioration in their health.

Otherwise, it is safe for most people. However, if hunger becomes severe and prevents you from falling asleep, for example, it causes abdominal cramps, you need to eat to get rid of the feeling of discomfort, as well as avoid the risk of overeating for breakfast.