Why being lonely makes you eat more  (2024)

FAQs

Why do lonely people eat more? ›

A new UCLA Health study has found that women who perceive themselves to be lonely exhibited activity in regions of the brain associated with cravings and motivation towards eating especially when shown pictures of high calorie foods such as sugary foods.

For example, neuroscience research has concluded that acute isolation leads to social craving in a manner similar to hunger as a response to not eating (Tomova et al., 2020).

Usually this is called emotional eating. It is a search for something to make us feel better and less lonely, a search that too often takes us to eating to excess. Many of us resolve to be healthier and eat more mindfully, but sometimes feelings of emptiness and melancholy do not make this easy.

Many people use food to fill a void within them or to avoid certain emotions. If you are finding yourself eating when you are sad or lonely, see if you can fill what's missing with a constructive activity. Go for a walk or listen to music, do something that will raise your vibration.

Numerous studies — granted, many of them in animals — have shown that physical or emotional distress increases the intake of food high in fat, sugar, or both. High cortisol levels, in combination with high insulin levels, may be responsible. Other research suggests that ghrelin, a "hunger hormone," may have a role.

People who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with others.

Depression-related increases in appetite are associated with hyperactivation of putative mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry, while depression-related appetite loss is associated with hypoactivation of insular regions that support monitoring the body's physiological state.

One of the symptoms of SAD is cravings for carbohydrate-heavy foods. You may think this is because hearty 'stick-to-your-ribs' comfort food keeps us warm in cooler weather, but researchers suspect it's actually due to altered levels of the feel-good hormone seratonin in your brain.

Social isolation and loneliness have been linked to increased risk for: Heart disease and stroke. Type 2 diabetes. Depression and anxiety.

Do introverts eat alone? ›

Yes. They are no different than an extrovert who is alone. Being an introvert does not mean they spend all of our time alone in a dark cave. It simply means they need solitude to regain a sense of balance when they have been otherwise overstimulated.

Loneliness can mess with your eating habits.

Therefore, loneliness can be a factor in either weight gain or weight loss. According to the study, for those who gain weight, it's often because they use food as a way to numb the feelings of loneliness they're experiencing.

Some research suggests that loneliness can increase stress. It's also associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems. For example, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and sleep problems. My anxiety and depression isolates me from people and stops me from being able to do the things I'd like to do.