Are Eating Habits Related to Mental Health?

Perhaps you have always wondered — are the types of foods we eat, or our way of eating related to the state of our mental health? Current research demonstrates that the relationship between eating and mental health is bidirectional and suggests that an individual’s psychological state can affect how much one eats and vice versa.This blog post will summarize the conclusions of recent literature examining the relationship between eating and mental health.

Defining Important Terms

Before we delve into the research surrounding this topic, it is important that we define certain key terms to avoid confusion. First, the term “healthy eating” refers to eating practices and habits consistent with improving, maintaining, and/or enhancing both physical and psychological health. Second, “mental health” will be defined as an individual’s mood, feelings about self, and general psychological well-being. Moreover, it is important to note that what one defines as “healthy eating” may differ between individuals, as each person’s mental and physical health can vary.

So… What does the literature say?

To promote healthy eating behaviours, the primary question that should be answered is such: why do people eat the amount and types of foods that they do? By gaining insight into the various factors that influence how we eat, we can better support healthier eating habits and consequently maximize the benefits of this lifestyle. Both healthy and unhealthy eating are influenced by a wide variety of individual, social, and environmental factors, all of which may interact with each other. Specifically, correlations have been found between many factors relating to one’s mental health and food consumption, suggesting that an individual’s eating habits and mental well-being may be related.

Research over several years has suggested a strong correlation between self-esteem and eating. Negative body image may promote excessive food restriction, leading to periods of overeating and possibly binge eating. Fortunately, programs with the aim of teaching youth to resist societal pressures in order to attain an unrealistic body have been successful in promoting healthy eating and body weight maintenance. Furthermore, chronic on-and-off dieting has been correlated with low self-esteem and negative body image. While successful dieting and restrained eating unaccompanied by binge eating are less likely to be related to pathological eating and eating disorders, dieters unable to lose weight are more likely to experience negative moods, poor psychological functioning, binge eating, and a tendency to overeat. This effect is magnified in stressful or distressing situations. Overall, regular dieting can cause depression and/or anxiety (ranging from mild to severe), or happiness when perceived excess weight is lost.

Additionally, stress can play a huge role in the types of food that one consumes. Often, stress can adversely influence food consumption, either through suppressing eating or overeating. Moreover, overeating due to stress is frequently associated with an increase in the consumption of “comfort foods” — foods often high in fat and/or sugar. However, self-monitoring intake can help to change the ingestion of specific nutrients (e.g. reducing fat or increasing fibre). Therefore, being aware of the nutritional value of foods during consumption may help promote healthier eating habits.

What does this all mean?

While we recognize a correlation between unhealthy eating and distress, we know little about why this occurs. Healthy eating should be achieved through a sustainable lifestyle over the long-term. Furthermore, literature indicates that healthier eating is often associated with an improved mood and better psychological well-being. Being aware of nutritional value of the foods we consume may help us achieve healthier eating, which in turn may improve an individual’s mood. Overall, while research has shown several beneficial effects of healthy eating, more work continues to be done to enhance our understanding of the relationship between mental health and eating behaviours.

References

Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (2005). Mental health and eating behaviours. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 96(Supplement 3), S43-S46.