emotional eating

[ ih-moh-shuh-nl ee-ting ]

/ ɪˈmoʊ ʃə nl ˈi tɪŋ /

noun

eating, often excessively, as a response to stress, boredom, unhappiness, or other emotional condition, rather than as a response to physical hunger: Prolonged loneliness can lead to a number of unhealthy habits, including emotional eating.

Nearby words

emotion, emotional, emotional correctness, emotional deprivation, emotional disorder, emotional eating, emotional illness, emotional intelligence, emotional labour, emotional literacy, emotionalism

Origin of emotional eating

First recorded in 1975–80