As our stress and anxiety ramp up, many of us turn to food for solace.
This kind of emotional eating is common. There isn’t a good estimate on the prevalence of emotional eating, but many 23andMe customers who consented to research say they’re “emotional eaters.” Data from the American Psychological Association indicates that about 27 percent of adults in the United States report eating to manage stress often. When stressed, people reach for highly caloric fatty “comfort foods” or sweets.
Why we do this is complicated and involves several factors, including the promotion and availability of junk food or highly caloric food in our society. However, some of the reasons we reach for those foods during times of high emotion or stress have to do with our genetics.
The New Emotional Eating Wellness Report
23andMe+ Premium’s new Emotional Eating report* calculates one’s genetic likelihood of frequent emotional eating using a statistical model known as polygenic risk scores (PRS). The report uses an individual’s genetic results at many genetic markers, along with their genetic ancestry and birth sex, to estimate the likelihood of frequent emotional eating.
“Many people experience emotional eating from time to time, but when emotional eating becomes extreme, it can be a problem, causing weight gain and potentially contributing to health problems like high cholesterol and diabetes,” said Noura Abul-Husn, MD, PhD, Vice President of Genomic Health at 23andMe. “Knowing a person’s genetic likelihood for experiencing emotional eating can help them identify new strategies early on, like removing unhealthy foods from their pantries or finding enjoyable alternatives like going on a walk. We hope this report can help provide an added resource for those who may experience emotional eating.”
More About Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is not a health or mental condition or something that is clinically diagnosed and treated. However, research has found that mental health conditions, especially depression and anxiety, are major causes of emotional eating.
While emotional eating does not in itself lead to obesity, when the behavior becomes habitual, it is associated with obesity. For some who are using food to satiate an “emotional hunger” due to anxiety or stress, emotional eating makes them feel good at the moment. But it is often followed by guilt, shame, or even feeling physically uncomfortable.
A healthy lifestyle is the primary intervention, but counseling can also be essential to controlling emotional eating when it becomes a problem. Removing hard-to-resist food and understanding when reaching for food because of stress instead of hunger are good first steps to controlling emotional eating.
Learn More
The Emotional Eating PRS report was developed by 23andMe scientists and clinical experts using data from 23andMe’s customers who consented to participate in research.
A published white paper fully details the science and methodology behind 23andMe’s PRS technology. While genetic factors may play a role, they do not account for all factors that could impact a person’s likelihood of experiencing emotional eating.
To learn more about the new Emotional Eating report and how to become a 23andMe+ Premium member, visit: https://www.23andme.com/membership/.
* The 23andMe Emotional Eating PRS report is based on a genetic model that includes data and insights from 23andMe consented research participants and incorporates more than 2,000 genetic variants to provide information on the likelihood of developing emotional eating. The report does not describe a person’s overall likelihood, does not account for lifestyle or family history and has not been reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration. The Emotional Eating PRS report is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions or determine any treatment.
