How come when we're depressed we eat alot?
89347
Depression is often caused by low serotonin levels in the brain - it's the neurotransmitter that tells you that life is okay.  When we eat, we release chemicals in the brain that make us feel good.  Knowing that, when we're depressed, we look to repeat that feeling good, because we need it so much.
920294
When you cry (this sounds corny but....) everything inside of you gets very worked up, you've been alive long enough to have eaten a lot of different things, chocolate, sugars, salt, any kind of food, your body knows what foods will stimulate, or calm your nerves, therefore causing you to want food.
770358
Psychologically, eating too much is related to love. You love, feel loved, you don't need except the right amount of food that your body needs.  You don't love, don't feel loved, you would be finding yourself stuffed with food and wanting more and more (more likely junk food).\n\nOfcourse there are numerous other factors like exercise, eating the right food, diet, etc..\n\nHowever, if u knew the psychological problem, it would be very very easy to go along with the diet, exercise and all body-related problems.
493554
Ignore the above!\n\nStay AWAY from sugar, high glycemic carbs, and caffeine. That means no ice cream, cakes, cookies, sodas, chips, or other junk foods. They cause mood swings that make depression more difficult to manage, because they will pick you up on an artificial high for a short time, but then drop you lower than you were before.  And eating that way repeatedly will cause long term deterioration of your health and weight gain, which will make the depression worse.\n\nThe key to using food to help you manage depression is simply to eat healthy, in ways that gradually improve your energy level in an even and sustained way.  Lean protein, lots of fresh (preferably organic) fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of whole grains.  If you need a guide, check out the Williams Sonoma/Mayo Clinic cookbook.  Put that together with a really good exercise program, maybe a combination of yoga and running or swimming or some other cardio activity, and you will definitely start feeling brighter.  And don't forget lots of water and a good multi-vitamin too.\n\nGood luck.
751268
Lots of things affect the amount we eat, and what we crave.\nMoving out of your home can cause stress, and we often eat foods that are high in empty calories to try to feel better.  Starches, fats, and sugars all help increase the endorphin levels in the brain (those are the chemicals that can create a temporary feeling of satisfaction and well-being).\nHormonal changes are common in teens, so it could be your hormones are just a little more pronounced right now - add the stress of moving out and you have a powerful physical combination.\nWinter weather can also make us feel like eating - kind of like squirrels gathering food to store up for the long winter ahead.\nPlus, believe it or not, junk food contains a lot of chemicals and ingredients that can become addictive.  The body craves the fats, carbs, and salt you find in junk food and makes us want to eat more each time.  Salt especially is really like a drug, especially in young women.\nAnd if you couldn't just snack anytime you wanted, and now all of a sudden you can, its like releasing the pressure on a spray can -you can go overboard with the new freedom.\n\nBut being on your own means you have to take complete control of your life and your eating.  \n\nA teen, especially one that is underweight, needs the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (that means the stuff found in food that isn't a vitamin or mineral) to grow strong and put on the proper weight.\nJunk food can cause acne, bad hair, brittle nails, and irregular periods. Not to mention the wrong kind of fat in the wrong places that is just impossible to get rid of later (trust me, I know all about it).\nSo my advice - find something healthier to eat when you get those cravings for junk.  Popcorn (without the butter) is a better choice (though not the best as there are no nutrients in it).  \nOr a big juicy apple - has a lot of good things in it, and believe it or not will satisfy your cravings to snack.  Add a few pieces of cheese and you have a great balanced snack you can eat whenever you feel like it - even late at night.\n\nYour body may be able to burn some of the excess calories now, but that won't last and you'll find yourself putting on unhealthy fat and running out of energy.  This is a time in your life to party and enjoy life - but keep this up and you'll fall asleep on the couch while your friends are having a good time.\nTake control, hon.\nGood luck.
890552
To be honest, all that behavior is very common in people who are clinically depressed.\n\nIt is very hard to get back on track, I know because I have struggled with this in the past as well.  If you try your best to make a conscious effort to get up, go to class, study, eat properly, and exercise everyday and you still count, you may want to consider getting an evaluation through your university or at an outside health professional.  \n\nIf you are positive that this is not it, I would strongly suggest seeing your general physician for some blood work to be done to see what is making you feel so sluggish.
474758
Stress, depression, sleep deprivation all weaken the immune system as do bad eating habits.  Notice how they're all intertwined?
368715
First of all, you need to watch what you are eating when you feel stressed. Don't cram junk food because that's what most people go for, it's like a soothing food. Don't let your problems cause you to run straight for food, but also don't stop eating because you are having problems. Eat something light, like some fruit or some pretzels. Applesauce, yogurt, a bowl of cereal. If you want to still eat alot after that, at least let it be something healthy like fruit and vegetables, low fat snacks, and not like whole pints of Ben and Jerry's and a half pack of Oreos. Some people have complete opposite effects when they are upset, some eat and some neglect to eat. It's not healthy for you and you will get hungry headaches when you don't eat or eat enough. If you feel that you are trying to cut back on carbs, calories, don't starve yourself. Still eat what you want, just in smaller quantities.
596157
I HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. it really sucks...it seems like i try to do something else and it just doesn't work...then after you eat, you feel even worse. what works for me now though, is  i eat something healthy, like a bowl chicken noodle soup, or a salad with chicken in it.
400666
1. activity varies day to day, increased activity needs more energy and your brain tell you to eat more\n2. on contrary, when you have nothing to do, it's easy to get your attention of food, especially if there is easy and tasty one nearby\n3. you don't eat the same thing everyday don't you? what you eat before affect your hunger. food that hard to digest stay longer in your stomach and make you feel full for longer time. it's not just calories or grams that counts
556099
Is it just that you have no appetite or do you feel sick if you try to eat?\nReally, eat anyways. \n\nSkipping meals can lead to a wide variety of health problems.
708276
That is an urban myth and not true. If anything overeating causes the body to pull from other resources in the body to handle the overload so that may be why one feels tired after eating a huge amount.\n\nThere is not enough tryptophan to trigger the amount of serotonin needed for that effect.
1178069
Nope, it only means that we hunger for something that we like.  Our body tells us that we are lacking certain nutrients by making us dizzy, causing us to have deficiency diseases....basically responding physically, not mentally.
879357
When u are overweight or obese....not only is it physically unhealthy but mentally too...cause of they way people treat them...sometimes the more they think about it and are reminded of this the more depressed they get and try to make it all go away...so they are more than likely to try to starve themselves or end it all...scary but it's true...
1027390
Thats a really hard thing to do because your body is probably programed to think "time to eat" at night. When your body starts to kick in and do that drink some hot tea or make some popcorn. Drink or eat something that is light but will make you feel full. Eat less and less each night and hopefully the feeling will stop.
381674
Drink tons of water so that you always feel full. If you feel full, you won't think about food so much. \n\nEat meals that are flavorful, but low fat. High flavor foods help you to feel satisfied after you have eaten.
1091603
Hi, I can totally sympathize with your dilemma.  Prozac, the medication, causes a depressed person, who may not have been taking great care of themselves to have an appetite again.  In other words, it increases your appetite.  I take a med that does the same thing.  I know that when my brain says I am hungry, it is lying to me, so I portion my food, and eat sensibly.  If I go out to eat, I eat only half of what is on my plate, asking for a "doggie bag" up front and removing the other half before I eat.  Then I don't gain weight.  I have been on Prozac.  It was a good medication for the time I was on it.  Other things came along and it lost its effectiveness.  Just a suggestion to be ever mindful that the side-effects may be less horrible than the alternative, but if they are too hard to live with, tell your doctor right away, don't stop taking them, and have your doctor switch you to something else.