Food provides our bodies with fuel, but that isn’t the only reason you might eat. For many people, emotions play a strong role. For example, you might eat because you are:
- Happy (birthday cake!)
- Sad (who hasn’t indulged in ice cream after a bad day?)
- Stressed (that 3 p.m. office stomach growling to eat.
Belly growling is a sign of physical hunger. But for a lot of people, the body doesn’t signal it is time to eat until many, many hours after the last meal. “A rumbling stomach can mean that it’s been too long since you last ate, which makes you more vulnerable to overeating,” Flanery says. It also makes you more likely to choose unhealthy foods, like those with a lot of sugar, fat, and salt.
If you are prone to binges, eating healthy food at regular mealtimes (scheduled every 3 to 4 hours) is usually a good idea. Following a schedule removes some of the decision-making (Am I really hungry?) that can be stressful, Flanery says.