Source: ABCnet
May Zaki has been receiving dozens of calls from people in south-west Sydney who say they are snacking and binge eating to cope during the harsh lockdown.
Ms Zaki, a nutritionist and author based in Birrong, said many people told her that home schooling, the stress of paying bills and even securing basic necessities had impacted their wellbeing.
The south-west was one of Sydney’s COVID-19 hotspots with several local government areas (LGAs) enduring a much tighter lockdown than most of the city.
“They are really stressed out due to lockdown … so the only comfort that they have found is through food,” she said.
It has also become “a whole family problem”, with some people saying that not only have they gained weight, but also their spouses and children, she said.
Ms Zaki has tried to help by conducting online workshops, sharing tips based on her own experience with a past eating disorder which led to her gaining up to 20 kilograms.
“I gained a lot of weight and I couldn’t stop this urge inside me [to eat], and to be honest, it was also associated with shame,” Ms Zaki said.
Many of those who have reached out told her they can particularly relate to feeling “shameful”.
“When I ate a lot, I didn’t want to show other people in my families that I’d had so much food, so I hid it in the trash,” she said.
Several wellbeing support services have also recorded a surge in outreach for eating disorders during lockdown, with those who live in regional areas finding it difficult to access help.
Why do we crave food when we’re feeling down?
Mona Mattar, a psychotherapist from Lighthouse Therapeutic, said it was very common for people to use food for comfort when they face uncertainty such as lockdown.
“For many people, uncertainty creates anxiety, and for some this may lead to depression,” she said.
“When anxiety and stress are high such as in lockdown, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol triggers cravings for foods that are high in sugar, fats and salt.”
Ms Zaki said we love food because we become emotionally attached to it from a young age, being rewarded with lollies and ice-cream, which were “all creamy, colourful and sugary”.
But if we really loved ourselves, we would be more conscious about the food we consume and see junk food for what it is, she said.
“You would see junk food as total trash … You would say, ‘No, I will not feed my body with this.'”
She suggested trying to re-build a “healthy relationship” with food, practising gratitude for at least five minutes a day.
“Once you start having this gratitude towards your body and health, your relationship with food will change,” she said.
Ms Mattar said practising gratitude was about being thankful for and acknowledging the value of someone or something — either tangible or intangible — in our lives.
She said people could think about things they were grateful for each day, such as their meal or having running water.
Other ways to find joy during lockdown
Ms Zaki has heard many stories from people who say eating junk food just makes them feel better, which again she says is related to it feeling like a reward ingrained from when we were children.
During her time dealing with binge eating, Ms Zaki said she tried to shift urges by channelling her energy and emotion into taking walks.
“I love walking and I could walk for hours. When we exercise the right way, it actually boosts your mood and good hormones,” she said.
The next step would be to try and find simple healthy rewards, which may be as easy as calling family or friends, she said.
“Calling your loved ones, even just for 10 minutes a day can give us the same feeling as after eating a cupcake.”
Ms Mattar says there is a psychological reason for this.
“Eating a cupcake releases a feel-good hormone in your reward system called dopamine,” she said.
“Connecting with people also releases feel-good hormones. What we know is that humans need and thrive on connection and are biologically pre-programmed to seek out connection.”
She said there were many other ways to activate dopamine and serotonin or the “feel-good hormones”.
She suggested spending time in nature, exercising, practising mindfulness and gratitude and, “importantly doing activities that bring you joy”.
The importance of acknowledging emotions
Our food habits may also be changing in lockdown due to “intense feelings” stemming from boredom, emptiness, sadness, uncertainty and other uncomfortable emotions, Ms Mattar said.
These emotions then drive the potential for seeking out distractions such as binge eating or snacking.
“Some people use food to distract from emotions. In the short term, it serves its purpose by pushing the emotions down,” she said.
“An effective way of dealing with emotions is first to name the emotion, then to notice it and finally it’s important to accept the emotion.
“By acknowledging the emotion we reduce its intensity.”
Ms Zaki said when she was angry or stressed out and wanted to eat something, she looked back to find the root cause of her emotion and tried to solve or deal with it.
It also gave her the strength to resist the temptation of wanting to eat when feeling down.
“Now, I feel good about myself with or without eating,” she said.
One piece of advice she has given as a nutritionist to manage our emotions is to also practice mindfulness when enjoying food.
“Focus on the smell, the texture, and how the food really tastes,” she said.
She also suggested to start journalling to learn about our eating patterns, and to keep a record of the emotions that occurred after eating a particular food.
“It will help us discover the triggers and we can start working on the root cause of binge snacking and eating,” she said.
“Sometimes we are eating not because our bodies need it. So the problem is in our minds, it’s not our body.”
This article contains general information only. You should see a qualified health and wellbeing professional to seek advice in relation to your particular circumstances.
