Which of the following best describes emotional eating?

Emotional eating is best described as eating influenced by external cues and emotions. This type of eating occurs when individuals consume food not primarily because they are hungry but as a response to emotional triggers such as stress, sadness, boredom, or even happiness. For many, food becomes a source of comfort or a way to cope with feelings rather than just a means of satisfying physical hunger.

When someone engages in emotional eating, they may find themselves reaching for specific comfort foods or snacks that provide temporary relief from their emotional state. This behavior highlights the psychological relationship people have with food, where emotions can override natural hunger signals, leading to overeating or unhealthy eating patterns.

In contrast, eating due to physical hunger refers to physiological needs for sustenance, while eating strictly for nutritional value focuses solely on health and dietary requirements, thus not accounting for emotional influences. Lastly, intermittent fasting during stressful periods does not directly align with the concept of emotional eating, as it relates to eating patterns and timing rather than the emotional drivers behind food consumption.