Increased Eating Behavior During the Coronavirus Period Draws Attention

Covid-19 During quarantine due to the pandemic, our eating habits may undergo changes. Experts point out that anxiety and stress, emotional hunger, feeling safe, motivation, pleasure-seeking and addiction trigger increased eating behavior, and explain certain precautions to be taken. Experts offer recommendations such as learning to delay gratification, eating at the right time and in the right amount, and redirecting attention elsewhere. Üsküdar Üniversitesi NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital Specialist Clinical Psychologist Sedef Koç noted that time spent at home has increased due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, and that eating behaviors may increase and eating addiction may develop these days.

Food is being discussed a lot these days

Pointing out that we are going through a period where the perception of what is 'normal and abnormal' about humans has changed, Sedef Koç said, "When defining a healthy individual, one of our characteristics is our ability to adapt to changing conditions. While trying to keep pace with the quarantine process in our homes, we can say that eating is both a basic necessity and an activity we can pass time with. For this reason, discussing food during this period is a quite normal situation, but the situation differs when the individual struggles to control the frequency of eating behavior, spends their day in a one-sided manner instead of diversifying it, and as a result certain health problems occur." Specialist Clinical Psychologist Sedef Koç said, "Humans are social beings; they like to stay in communication and share. Taking cultural motifs into account, we can say that as a society we are accustomed to close relationships. Therefore, adapting to quarantine will bring with it many behavioral changes. One of the first things that comes to mind is our eating habits. While an individual acts with a survival instinct on one hand, on the other hand they tend to meet their emotional needs."

Evaluating the factors that trigger increased eating behavior, Sedef Koç assessed them as follows:

Anxiety and Stress: We are confronted with concepts of 'anxiety and stress' stemming from uncertainty at almost every opportunity. Contrary to what is known, stress is not always negative. It pushes the individual to learn, develop and most importantly, to fight by giving the message to survive. But how does this happen? This is because when stressed, the body's defense system kicks in and our adrenal glands secrete adrenaline hormone, and the brain that enters an alarm state due to adrenaline's effect perceives itself in danger and gives the command to "fight or flee" and takes certain precautions. Thus it protects itself against potential dangers. As in everything else, the important point here is continuity and quantity. Due to occasional misinterpretations, the brain may struggle to distinguish between real dangers and dangers with a very low probability of occurring. When the perception of danger continues, that is, when the brain is constantly on alert, the body begins to produce cortisol hormone. As stress becomes chronic, cortisol hormone remains active all day. With the increase in cortisol levels, the need for blood sugar also increases and appetite increases. The brain's primary goal is to survive; for this it must provide sufficient energy and protect the body. Acting on this impulse, the brain pushes the person to eat more. Thus humans automatically turn to carbohydrate, fat and sugar-containing foods. When we evaluate the uncontrollably increasing supermarket shopping and hoarding during the quarantine process in light of this information, it will become more understandable. For someone who does not find the possibility of catching the disease realistic, going hungry may be perceived as a more likely danger. This way of thinking also explains some of our purchasing behaviors.

Feeling Safe

We can best exemplify this situation these days with the fact that almost everyone is making bread at home. People are not only meeting their carbohydrate needs, but also want to meet their need for security. The scent of warm bread coming from the oven makes the constantly alert individual feel they are in a safe place. The search for security has been the foundation of life's struggle since the earliest traces of humanity. Maslow (1943), who classified an individual's needs hierarchically, placed physical needs such as food, water and shelter at the top, followed by the need for protection and security. Until recently, today's people were focused on moving to the next levels such as belonging, feeling valued and self-actualization; with the pandemic, priorities changed. Humanity's common concern now is only to feed themselves and be safe; in short, to manage to survive in its simplest form.

Emotional Hunger

We cannot base the feeling of hunger solely on a physiological foundation; there is also an emotional dimension to it. Along with anxiety, when a person feels restless and tense, eating behavior can be seen as a means of relaxation. It may not be easy for everyone to cope with the discomfort created by emotions such as stress, sadness, anger, guilt and boredom. For someone struggling to deal with negative emotions and thoughts, eating can be a simple method of relief. Someone trying to motivate themselves who does not have sufficient internal and external resources will seek other pleasurable things to get through their distress, one of the first options being eating. Therefore, as long as this quarantine period in which we are going through difficult days as a society continues, it is inevitable that you will find yourself in the kitchen in front of the refrigerator. That is, while the person thinks they are satisfying their hunger, they are only feeding their emotions for a short time. The real question we can ask ourselves is this: Is it me who is hungry, or my emotions?

Motivation

People trying to adapt to the quarantine process are trying various activities at home on experts' recommendation to increase motivation. However, for those who have not previously been experienced in this matter, eating is a relatively 'easily accessible' pleasure. Taking time from the preparation stage, to presentation, from missed flavors to new recipes waiting to be tried, and most importantly sharing the table with family members who have not been able to be together for a long time can be a good option to make the day positive.

Pleasure-Seeking and Addiction

While people are trying to normalize and make enjoyable the time they spend at home, various behavioral problems may arise in the long term. Along with the possibility of seeing an increase in other types of addiction, food addiction is also among what we may encounter. When examining the brain functions of a person lacking sufficient motivation, decreases in serotonin and dopamine levels are observed. The brain may try to compensate for the lack of these neurochemicals with carbohydrate and fatty foods. Like other addictive substances, food and eating behavior activate the brain's reward system by secreting dopamine. With the stimulation of what we call the addiction center, the reward system, dopamine levels increase and the person begins to experience pleasure. In someone who wants to experience this pleasure again and again, the eating behavior in question becomes more frequent.

In short; along with behavioral addictions such as technology, shopping, social media, online gambling, alcohol and substance use disorders, an increase in the frequency of food addiction is expected.

How will we slow down our passion for food?

Sedef Koç noted that awareness is what we need to exercise control over our behaviors, saying, "When our eating behavior becomes more frequent, if the individual's functionality and health are negatively affected, this is a situation that needs to be addressed. For this, the individual must be aware that there is a problem and be willing to change."