Eating more than you intended and feeling distressed?

More food than you wanted

For Mariia overeating follows a long period of hunger, for Anton it follows an argument and comes with a loss of control, and Klym eats what he bought in stock. The section “Eating a lot does not always mean overeating” explains how such episodes differ from other changes.

If at least one of these stories resembles yours, think about what happened before your last episode. If none of them fits, the questions in the section “What comes before episodes of overeating?” can help you describe it.

Eating a lot does not always mean overeating

“Overeating” describes different situations. Compare which is closer to your experience.

• Increased appetite. You want to eat more often and more strongly, but you do not lose control while eating. See the page on increased appetite.
• Weight gain. Your weight is rising and you are looking for the reason, even without episodes of overeating. Compare with the description of weight gain.
• Anxiety. Food helps you get through tense moments. If anxiety persists together with low mood, see the page on anxiety with depression.
• Depressed mood. Episodes have become more frequent along with sadness and tiredness. The page on depressed mood looks at what this is like.

These changes often occur together, and one of them on its own decides nothing.

Overeating after hunger and under strain

Episodes can follow long periods of hunger, as with Mariia in our example, emotional tension or a habit of eating in a hurry. Repetition, loss of control and severe distress need separate assessment. An eating disorder cannot be identified from a single episode.

If low mood and loss of interest in life persist along with overeating, a doctor may also assess for depression. Overeating on its own does not yet mean that you have this disorder.

What comes before episodes of overeating?

Overeating means eating more than usual or more than you need to feel full. Think of your last episode and answer these questions:

• How often do such episodes happen?
• Do you feel a loss of control while eating?
• Was there a long period of restriction or a skipped meal before the episode?
• Was the episode linked to stress, anxiety, boredom, loneliness or low mood?
• Do episodes happen mostly in the evening or at night?
• Has your weight changed?

If after episodes you fast, make yourself vomit or try to “make up for” eating in other ways, see the first point of the section “Which point describes your episodes?”.

Not punishing yourself the next day

After an episode you may want to “punish” yourself, but that rarely helps. Other things help more:

• Regular meals. Eat without long gaps or overly strict restrictions: this lowers the chance of intense physical hunger and the next episode.
• Observation. For a while, note whether you were physically hungry before an episode, what you felt, what happened just before eating and how you felt afterwards.
• Other supports. If food often helps you cope with unpleasant feelings, gradually add other ways: a conversation, a walk, rest. For Klym in our example, it would be easier to shop from a list and not keep large stocks in sight.

Strict diets and “punishing” yourself after an episode can keep the cycle going: “restriction – intense hunger – overeating – guilt – new restriction”.

You can talk about overeating without shame

For new or persistent physical symptoms, start with a family doctor. Further investigations depend on your symptoms and examination, not a standard checklist. If overeating is linked to loss of control, shame or mood, you can discuss it with a psychiatrist or an eating disorder specialist.

The initial psychiatric consultation page describes how the conversation with a doctor begins. The specialists’ areas of work are collected on the clinic’s doctors page.

Which point describes your episodes?

1. If overeating is followed by deliberate fasting, vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics, excessive exercise or other compensatory behaviour, a consultation is especially important.
2. If overeating comes with significant weight changes, constant thirst, frequent urination or other marked physical symptoms, it is important to have a medical examination.
3. If episodes recur regularly, come with a loss of control, strong discomfort or affect your health and quality of life, see a doctor or mental health professional.
4. If eating behaviour is linked to persistently low mood, marked anxiety, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, see a mental health professional.
5. If episodes happen after long gaps between meals, start with the steps in the section “Not punishing yourself the next day”.