Four Very Real Health Dangers of Overeating

It’s Thanksgiving day. You are sitting at the dinner table with your family and enjoying all the delicious classics: turkey, glazed ham, mashed potatoes, apple pie and whatnot. By the end of the evening, you are feeling more stuffed than the turkey you just ate. Does it feel good? Probably not.

The same goes for any other “overeating occasion,” such as a bowl of ice cream after a stressful day at work, or snacking on chips and popcorn while binge-watching a TV show.

The feelings that often follow overeating include a stomachache, guilt, and even shame. Is it worth it? Of course not. Especially when we take into account other harmful consequences of overeating, some of which are long-term. Here’s how eating more than is necessary impacts the body and mind, and how to break this bad habit.

1. A shortcut to weight gain

Binge eating could just be the shortest way to weight gain and obesity. In fact, two-thirds of people with binge eating disorder are overweight. The extra pounds are gained by consuming large amounts of food in short periods of time without burning the calories through physical activity.

But the problems don’t end there. If you do it frequently, and especially if it has led to weight gain or obesity, overeating leaves severe consequences on your health.

2. Increased risk of heart disease

Having more pounds than the average for your height and age makes it more difficult for your heart to pump blood throughout your body. Having a lot of fat, particularly around the stomach, increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. All of these factors enhance the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The symptoms of a heart condition you should pay attention to include:

• shortness of breath

• sweating

• chest pain

• heart palpitations

• dizziness

3. You are more likely to get type 2 diabetes

Finnish researchers found that there is a highly increased risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals with binge eating disorder. Overweight-ness and obesity additionally contribute to the chances of developing this disease. The worst thing about type 2 diabetes is that it is a chronic illness that requires ongoing treatment.

Blurry vision, fatigue, extreme hunger or thirst, and the need to pee more often than usual are some of the signs you should pay attention to if you’re worried about having this condition.

4. Your mental health is at risk

People who overeat often do that because they seek refuge from negative emotions in the comfort of food. Unfortunately, food provides only a temporary sense of satisfaction. And what remains is the feeling of guilt and shame. That’s why people diagnosed with an eating disorder are more prone to depression and anxiety. In some time, the overeating and bad mood become a vicious circle difficult to break out of.

You can notice that you are eating to numb the emotions if you’re eating a lot even when you’re not hungry. Additionally, you may feel helpless, uninterested in the things you used to love, tired, and sad.

How to break this self-harming habit?

Compulsive overeating is not an imaginary condition, and because it is not “just in your head” it can be challenging to overcome it. However, if you don’t do it, you will end up stuck in a loop. But here’s what you can do to get on the right track:

Follow a healthy diet

Restrictive diets do not have a good reputation because they often deprive people of very important nutrients, and they are used for the wrong purposes (e.g., losing weight in seven days). However, adjusting your regime using certain guidelines, such as going paleo and eating specific foods, may prove to be helpful. These diets limit the intake of carbohydrates while relying on healthy protein and some fats in moderation, which not only motivates you to make healthier choices but also creates a discipline in the way you eat.

Work with a counselor

Since overeating is often a psychological problem, you shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for help. Sometimes the cause may be in some deep-rooted emotional traumas that cannot be solved independently. Working with a therapist can help discover the psychological triggers for binge eating (e.g., a negative body image or a childhood trauma) and address it in a way that will treat the condition at its roots. If you’re not comfortable going to a physical office or can’t go through the inconvenience now, you can try online therapy and access professional help from the comfort of your home.

Shake things up

Habits are peculiar beasts. We often associate specific habitual behaviors with our environment and perform them on autopilot. Changing one thing, therefore, can result in making more purposeful decisions.

For example, if you are always overeating by sitting on the couch in front of the TV, try taking your meals in the dining room at the table. If your overeating is linked with a specific time of the day, try eating an hour or two sooner.

Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself

Changing a rooted behavior is a long and challenging process. You won’t get there from the first try. It’s OK to fall into the trap of eating “bad foods” from time to time. Allow yourself to make a mistake if you are really craving for some food, but try to limit the amount of it.

Also, don’t consider yourself to be a bad person or label yourself as a failure in the difficult moments. The very fact you are attempting to get better speaks about your bravery and persistence.