emotional eating

[ ih-moh-shuh-nl ee-ting ]

noun

1. eating, often excessively, as a response to stress, boredom, unhappiness, or other emotional condition, rather than as a response to physical hunger: Compare comfort eating, stress eating ( def ).

   Prolonged loneliness can lead to a number of unhealthy habits, including emotional eating.

Word History and Origins

Origin of emotional eating¹

First recorded in 1975–80