Science proves it’s not your fault you’re emotionally eating

Research shows why dieters often break their healthy‑eating goals, and what they can do to help stop that.

New research has revealed why many people struggle to stick to their dieting goals, particularly when their emotions fluctuate throughout the day.

The study examined how emotions influence eating behaviour in chronic dieters and tested whether negative moods and difficulties regulating emotions drive people toward unhealthy food choices.

Flinders' lead author and psychologist, Dr Isaac Williams says individuals actively trying to restrict their food intake were far more likely to reach for unhealthy snacks such as chocolate, pastries or chips when they experienced negative emotions like stress or sadness.

“Our findings show that your immediate emotional state is a much stronger driver of snacking than your overall personality or your usual mood patterns,” says Dr Williams.

“It’s those in‑the‑moment feelings that tend to push people off track.”

More than 150 women completed a seven‑day online snack diary, recording everything they ate and the emotions they felt just before taking their first bite.

“We found that women who were dieting were significantly more likely to choose unhealthy snacks when they felt negative emotions,” he says.

“In contrast, women who weren’t dieting tended to eat more overall when they felt positive emotions, such as happiness or excitement.”

Dieters were especially vulnerable, consuming almost twice as many unhealthy snacks when they felt bad compared to when they felt good.

“For people who are trying to diet, negative emotions seem to act as a trigger for breaking their healthy eating intentions."

“It’s not that they eat more food overall, but that they choose foods that are higher in calories and lower in nutritional value.”

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The study also found that long‑standing emotional tendencies did not predict eating behaviour.

International expert in eating behaviours and senior author, Professor Eva Kemps, says that people who generally experience more negative emotions were not necessarily more likely to break their diet; instead, the emotion felt immediately before eating had the biggest impact.

“This tells us that what matters most is the immediate emotional context, not someone’s typical emotional style,” says Professor Kemps, from the Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

A surprising finding was that emotion‑regulation skills did not provide the level of protection researchers expected.

While the team predicted that people who were better at managing their emotions would be less prone to emotional eating, the influence of common strategies such as reappraisal or suppressing emotion was limited.

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What mattered most was emotional awareness - how clearly people recognised and understood their feelings.

“Emotional awareness seems to be the real key,” says Dr Williams.

The study also highlighted the strong effect of positive emotions on people who were not dieting. When these participants felt happier than usual, they tended to eat more snacks of all types, both healthy and unhealthy.

“We often think of comfort eating as something people do when they’re sad, but for many people, being in a good mood can be just as much of a temptation to indulge,” says Dr Williams.

The findings offer practical insights for anyone aiming to maintain healthier eating habits. Short, simple strategies that boost positive mood or increase emotional awareness may help dieters stay on track.

Dr Williams suggests brief mindfulness exercises, slowing down before eating or checking in with your feelings as useful tools.

“We’re not as rational about food as we like to think,” he says.

“Understanding your emotions in real time can help break the cycle of turning to unhealthy snacks when you feel stressed, tired or overwhelmed.”