are you an emotional eater?

Feeding your emotions can affect your diabetes management and overall well-being. Take our quiz to find out if your feelings could be influencing your food choices. Then learn ways to cope.

What’s your most common cue to eat?

A. My stomach growls.

B. The clock says it’s mealtime.

C. I feel bored, restless, unhappy, or lonely.

D. Eating is my go-to form of stress relief and comfort.

Which best describes your overall attitude toward food?

A. Food is the body’s fuel, and I eat to keep going.

B. I enjoy good food, and it’s even better shared with loved ones.

C. I have many positive memories involving food, so I eat in part to re-create those feelings.

D. For me, food equals love, warmth, and companionship.

When something doesn’t go your way, what’s your first thought?

A. I’ll get ’em next time.

B. I wish it had been different, but it will work out in the end.

C. I need to meet my BFF for drinks and dinner.

D. When can I get out of here and hit a bakery?

Think about the language you use to describe food. How often do you use emotion-charged words such as decadent, indulgent, love/hate, obsessed, sinful, guilt, joy, and craving?

A. Almost never; I mainly eat because I have to.

B. Only in relation to a truly outstanding meal.

C. Often. For me eating is always an emotional experience—sometimes good, sometimes bad.

D. Regularly. I constantly think about food and feel stressed if I can’t eat as planned.

The last time you experienced a significant disappointment, how did you cope in the hours just afterward?

A. I cried and processed with my friends.

B. I treated myself to a fancy dinner to cheer myself up.

C. I binge-watched Netflix while eating lots of salty snacks.

D. I polished off a carton of ice cream before I could even register what was happening.

How often do you feel out of control when it comes to eating?

A. I don’t even understand the question!

B. I’ve sometimes had to walk away from the table in order to stop eating.

C. I’ve completely zoned out while overeating more times than I care to admit.

D. I often find it difficult to stop eating, even when I’m full or don’t like what I’m eating.

What is your emotional state after you eat?

A. I feel satisfied.

B. I feel a little sad the meal is over.

C. I often feel guilty.

D. I sometimes feel so guilty and overwhelmed that I can succumb to despair.

add up your score

A = 0 points; B = 1 point; C = 2 points; D = 3 points Find your score below to see where you fall on the emotional eating spectrum.

0–6 Oh, you stoic, you! You have a utilitarian attitude toward food—you eat to keep your energy up. Currently you are not an emotional eater.

7–12 Food is connected to emotion for you, but as long as you keep your meals healthful and stay tuned in to your emotional state, you should be OK.

13–17 There is a strong connection between eating and positive emotion for you—take care not to let it go too far. Focus on healthful foods and portion control. If you feel stressed, bored, or sad, try calling a friend, meditating, or going for a walk instead of reaching for the chips.

18–21 Chances are high you’re using food to feed your feelings and not your body. Consider seeing a counselor or dietitia to explore your relationship with food. Practicing mindfulness can reveal what’s at the root of your emotional eating.