Do you find that when you’re feeling down, you reach for comfort food – something fatty or sweet like sticky buns, chocolate, desserts? And, what’s worse, you find yourself eating far too much, sometimes even bingeing? Researchers have found that how people feel does indeed affect whether they choose unhealthy comfort food or the healthier options.

The original research article is here http://www.atypon-link.com/AMA/doi/abs/10.1509/jmkg.71.1.194?cookieSet=1&journalCode=jmkg

You can use this information to help you manage what you eat, and become more successful in maintaining a healthy weight.

When you eat sugary or fatty food, there’s a biochemical effect on your brain, producing more happy neurotransmitters. Researchers found that people will actually eat to affect their mood: If you’re feeling unhappy, comfort food will actually help you feel better; if you’re already happy you’re likely to deliberately seek out healthier food choices, in order to maintain your good feelings about yourself.

To make things even more complex, its easier to eat too much of the comfort food when you’re feeling down. The guilt that follows overeating can make you feel even worse!

But there are ways to help manage your food intake when you’re feeling down:

First, measure out your portion so you know exactly how much you’re eating. Choose a smaller portion than what you think you’ll need to eat to feel better. Then walk away from the kitchen to enjoy it while totally focused on the food and how it tastes. (i.e don’t eat comfort food while watching TV, or standing in the kitchen at the fridge door – that’s unconscious eating).

Next, know what’s in that food. Being aware of the calorie, fat and sugar content of your comfort food actually reduces how much you’ll eat. Read the nutritional label. Keeping a food diary of what you eat and your mood can be an effective tool.

Finally, be aware of your tendency to eat more when you’re in a sad mood. Just being aware of your mood can help you make different choices about how you’ll deal with it.

So, feeling down? Wanting comfort food? Measure out your portion of what you want, read the label, focus on the enjoyable food while you’re eating it. Then as soon as you’re finished that portion, change your activity: Going for a walk is one of the best, as the physical activity will also help improve your mood.

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Do you find that when you eat out, you eat more food than you do at home? Researchers found that many people do, and were curious to find out why. Their questionnaire, completed by 146 people, revealed some common barriers to healthy eating when dining out. You can read the original research here  http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/may/09_0130.htm#table1_down

Here are the common barriers to healthy eating out, and some possible solutions for you:

Many people found they ate more when they arrived at the restaurant ravenously hungry. This certainly makes it harder to choose healthier options, especially in the winter when hot food is more appealing. For many people in the survey, it was their busy lifestyle that got in the way; they just "hadn't had time to eat".

When you're busy its easy to overlook meal planning; but this is one of the key skills that will help you stay on top of things when life is going a little crazy. The solution? Spend 20 minutes before you shop each week to plan your meals, and purchase some key snack items that you can keep on hand in your desk drawer so you don't go hungry.

Being presented with a big plate of really delicious food certainly makes it harder to resist eating too much. If your first thought when the plate lands on the table is "wow, that's a lot" then it probably is an overly large portion size. Sometimes you can ask for what's left over to be packaged as a takeaway for you to take home.

Were you brought up to eat everything on your plate so as not to 'waste' food? If so, you're likely to find it even more difficult to refuse an overly large portion size. Try routinely asking for an 'entrée size' serve of a main meal item instead.

If you're hungry, and tuck into your meal with gusto, you're likely to miss your stomach's cues of "I'm full!" – this can cause you to overeat, then leave the restaurant feeling bloated. Your best remedy here is mindful eating; put your cutlery down between mouthfuls, and really savour the wonderful flavours and textures of the meal that someone else has cooked for you.

Effective portion control is one of the hallmarks of successful weight management – so try these strategies next time you eat out. You might leave the restaurant next time feeling well fed but not bloated or over-fed.

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