Ever wondered why we feel so hungry when we are bored?

One of the unhealthiest things to do is to eat because you have nothing else to do. Everybody is guilty of it. It is a natural thing to do. I hate to admit it, but I am guilty of it too.

So why do people eat because of boredom?

One study done by researchers at the University of Limerick states that “boredom leads to unhealthy eating, as it helps to distract from the unpleasant boredom experience.” The experiment involved a diary study and measured the correlation between boredom and unhealthy eating.

The results of this study showed that “boredom predicted calorie, fat, sugar, and protein consumption.” Therefore, it can be said that boredom leads to unhealthy eating.

This can also be called emotional eating or mindless eating.

Emotional Hunger vs. True Hunger

Emotional eating is when you eat anything in sight, causes cravings for various types of food, and genuinely leaves you feeling guilty after you binge. This can be due to what is referred to as emotional hunger. Emotional Hunger is when you think you are hungry due to some form of stress or boredom. This is different from true hunger.

True hunger on the other hand, starts gradually, any type of food will satisfy hunger, you will have the will power to stop once you are satisfied, and you will not feel guilty afterwards. The main difference between these two types is that with emotional hunger, one does not have the will power to stop and will continue eating until they feel so guilty about themselves as opposed to true hunger where people know when to stop because they are full.

Read Dr Arun’s full article here and discover interesting tips on how we can navigate these emotional hungers in a safe and healthy manner.

On average, a Panda feeds for approximately 12 hours per day.
This is the same as an adult at home under quarantine, which is why we call it a “Pandemic”