Overeating is defined as eating when not hungry or past the point of satiety. Most people don't realize they are eating more than they need to until they become obese and suffer health problems. The majority of people overeat from time to time but it becomes a problem when it happens regularly. Excessive eating causes a person to take in significantly more calories than are needed for daily functioning. These extra calories are stored as fat, increasing a persons overall body mass index (the measurement most commonly used to determine obesity).

Overeating Problems

Eating too much can lead to many health problems. Occasional overeating can lead to indigestion, stomach distension and bowel disturbance. The more serious problems associated with it come from regular overeating or compulsive eating. Compulsive eating can lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and many other problems. A compulsive eater is at risk for these conditions even if they are not yet obese.

Overeating and Obesity

When there are too many calories being consumed, as happens with some eating disorders, these calories are stored as extra fat. When a person is 20 per cent above the normal weight or has a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher, they are considered obese. One of the easiest ways to prevent obesity is to stop overeating.

Overeating Causes

In order to stop overeating, most people need to understand why they eat too much in the first place. Stop and ask yourself, "What is at the root of my eating problem?" In many cases, it has just become a habit. To stop overeating, you need to break the habit. Another cause of excessive eating is psychological in nature. Using food as a comfort, people use food to deal with stress, depression and anxiety. Although it is a temporary fix to those problems, it is often followed by feelings of guilt, shame and disgust.

Tips to Stop Overeating

Attempting to stop overeating can be a daunting task. Slowing down while eating, chewing each bite many times, helps to decrease the overall amount of food that is taken in at one sitting. Many people eat past the full stage because they are eating faster than their bodies can signal that they are full. Cut back on snacking between meals. Only eat when the food previously eaten has been completely digested. Change the food items that you eat; healthier food choices usually have lower calories and keep you feeling full longer.

Treatments For Overeating

There are many treatments available to help people to stop overeating. Getting to the root of the reason behind the overeating can sometimes be the first step. Some people find help by talking to their doctors, therapists or through self-hypnosis.

Self Hypnosis For Overeating

One of the advantages of self hypnosis is that it is the sort of self help that you can access in your own time. Indeed, most self hypnosis recordings are designed to be listened to at bedtime as you drift to sleep. A combination of techniques is usually used, from suggestion through to metaphor, and the good self hypnosis recordings will always offer you a money back guarantee. The reason that the guarantee can so readily be offered is that these recordings are generally quite effective, though to be fair they often do require repeated listening.



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