Comfort Eating

Comfort eating means consuming food in response to emotions rather than hunger. It’s often driven by stress, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, or even celebration: with food becoming a tool for emotional regulation, distraction, or reward.

Comfort eating is usually unconscious, automatic, and focused on high-calorie, high-reward foods like sweets, crisps, or takeaways.

• You eat when stressed, tired, sad, or bored — not when hungry
• You feel a sudden, urgent craving for specific foods
• You eat mindlessly or quickly, without fully tasting the food
• You feel regret, guilt, or shame after eating
• You find it difficult to stop eating once you start

Biological and Hormonal Triggers

• Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases appetite and cravings for sugary or fatty foods
• Eating carbs can temporarily boost serotonin, improving mood in the short term
• The act of eating stimulates dopamine, which reinforces emotional eating as a coping strategy

Emotional and Psychological Drivers

• Food as a childhood comfort (e.g. rewarded with treats)
• Using food to numb emotions or distract from discomfort
• A way to self-soothe in the absence of other coping mechanisms
• A learned behaviour reinforced by relief or distraction from stress

• Weight gain due to excessive calorie intake, especially in the evening
• Disrupted hunger/fullness cues, making it harder to recognise real hunger
• Emotional distress from guilt, shame, or feeling “out of control”
• Increased food preoccupation, cravings, or emotional reliance on food

Step 1: Build Awareness

• Keep a food and mood journal: track when, what, and why you’re eating
• Pause before eating: Ask yourself, “Am I hungry,  or looking for relief?”
• Notice the pattern: Time of day, mood triggers, specific foods

Step 2: Create Alternative Coping Tools

• Non-food self-soothing: Try music, journaling, a warm bath, calling a friend, or going for a short walk
• Emotional regulation: Learn to sit with discomfort without numbing it through food
• Mindful eating: Eat slowly, without screens or distraction, and check in with how food makes you feel

Step 3: Nourish Yourself Properly

• Don’t restrict too harshly: Under-eating during the day often leads to comfort eating at night
• Include regular, balanced meals: Protein, fibre, and healthy fats help keep blood sugar and mood stable

Step 4: Set Up Your Environment for Success

• Keep high-trigger foods out of sight (or out of the house if needed)
• Plan evening routines that don’t revolve around food (e.g. reading, stretching, a warm drink)
• Give yourself permission to enjoy food without guilt or extremes

When medication might help

• GLP-1 medications can support appetite regulation, reduce cravings, and help break emotionally driven eating cycles
• Especially helpful when comfort eating has become compulsive or is contributing to health or weight issues

GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro can help reduce comfort eating by lowering appetite and food cravings that are triggered by emotions rather than hunger.
These treatments mimic the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate hunger and satiety signals. When those signals become more stable, it becomes easier to notice when you are eating for emotional relief instead of physical need.

For many people, GLP-1s reduce the intensity of urges to snack or overeat when feeling stressed or low. They also create the mental space to develop other coping strategies, such as mindfulness or speaking to a health coach about emotional triggers.

You can learn more about how these GLP-1 injections work on our GLP-1 overview page.

If comfort eating feels out of control, compulsive, or emotionally distressing, it’s a sign that professional support could help. Addressing emotional eating isn’t about “just eating less”, it’s about understanding what you really need.

Medicspot offers a free 15-minute 1-2-1 call with a member of our weight loss support team. You can ask questions, discuss any concerns, and find out whether we might be able to support you.

Comfort eating is a common and understandable way of dealing with difficult emotions, but it can make long-term weight loss harder. Recognising the behaviour is the first step toward changing it.

GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro can help by reducing appetite and cravings, making it easier to pause and find other ways to manage emotions without relying on food.

At Medicspot, our clinicians combine medical treatment and behavioural coaching to help you address both the physical and emotional sides of weight loss safely and sustainably.

Start your free online assessment to see if GLP-1 treatment could be right for you, or use the weight loss calculator below to find out instantly if you are likely to be eligible and to see how much weight you could lose.