2 Reasons Why Uncertainty Fuels ‘Emotional Eating,' By A Psychologist

Forbes

a day ago

It's normal for everyone to have days where life feels uncertain, stress seems overwhelmingly high or everything around you feels too complicated for you to make sense of.
In moments like these, you may often reach out to food, say, something like a bag of chips or cookies. You may even find yourself eating more than usual, which is completely okay.
Craving food in these moments is often about comfort. It's your mind and body looking for something calming and satisfying when the world feels anything but. This is especially true for foods that are rich, calorie-dense or nostalgic.
If you've ever reached for food in response to emotion, remember that you're not alone and more importantly, that you're not doing anything wrong. This is called 'emotional eating' and it is a deeply human response. It is not a sign of weakness or lack of control, as some would believe.
When it comes to emotional eating, it's common for people to label these comfort foods as 'junk' or 'bad,' especially when they're high in sugar, carbs or fat.
However, it's important to remember that these labels only create shame, and that food has always been more than fuel. This might seem contrary to modern wellness culture, but with the constant emphasis on 'eating right' and watching your diet, many forget that food offers comfort, cultural connection, safety and even a sense of certainty when life feels anything but predictable.
A 2025 study focused on this very connection between uncertainty and food choices. Researchers set out to explore how environmental cues, like feelings of scarcity, danger or instability, might influence the kinds of foods people are drawn to.
They exposed participants to different imagined scenarios. Some were exposed to scenarios where they felt safe and abundant, while others signaled ecological harshness, such as resource scarcity or threat.
After this priming, participants were shown images of both high- and low-calorie foods and their eye movements were tracked. This was followed by a task where they rated how desirable each food seemed. This helped researchers understand participants' preferences and learn what captured their attention on a subconscious level.
Based on the findings of the 2025 study, here are two reasons why you may crave more calorie-dense food in uncertain times.
1. Your Brain Thinks You're In Survival Mode
One important finding was that when life feels uncertain, be it due to financial stress, emotional overwhelm or just a general sense of instability, your brain doesn't always know the difference between modern-day stress and ancient survival threats.
It helps to look at how we have evolved to better understand this. In ancient times, uncertainty often meant real danger. For instance, a harsh season could mean less food, unpredictable weather or even a threat from predators or rival groups.
In essence, these were real signals that survival could be at risk. Over time, our brains have adapted to look at any signs of instability as a cue to prepare for potential scarcity, especially when it comes to food. You may not be consciously aware of this, but it's deeply rooted in the way we function now.
Today, you're not necessarily facing the same types of threats, but your brain still reads emotional stress or instability as a possible sign of danger. When this happens, it's almost like some kind of internal 'survival switch,' comes on; one that increases your desire for high-energy and calorie-rich foods.
In the study, participants who were asked to imagine themselves in harsh and uncertain environments showed a clear bias toward high-calorie foods. They spent more time looking at those foods and even found them more desirable. They returned their gaze to them more frequently, even without realization.
So the next time you find yourself reaching for that extra slice of cake or bag of chips on a stressful day, remember that it's your body's way of attempting to keep you safe and nourished in times of threat.
This can shift the way you look at your cravings. Rather than seeing them as something to fix or feel ashamed about, you can begin to view them as signals from your body asking for reassurance or some grounding, and find other ways to offer it the same.
2. You Are Wired To Notice Calorie-Dense Foods First
Research published in Neurobiology of Stress has shown that when the brain perceives a threat, whether physical or emotional, it shifts how it functions.
In animal studies that informed human treatments for PTSD, scientists observed that high levels of stress hormones, like norepinephrine, impair the prefrontal cortex, which is the brain's center for decision-making and self-control.
Instead, more primitive brain regions like the amygdala and basal ganglia, which are responsible for emotional and habitual responses, get activated.
Simply speaking, during stress, your logical brain takes a backseat while your emotional brain steps forward. This has been observed through brain imaging and behavioral responses, and helps explain why people under stress tend to act more impulsively and emotionally, like craving comforting, high-calorie foods.
This was also seen in the 2025 study.
Participants who were asked to imagine themselves in ecologically harsh conditions spent significantly more time looking at high-calorie foods, like pastries or fried items, compared to those who imagined stable and secure environments.
Eye-tracking technology showed they unconsciously returned their gaze to those foods more often. They later even rated those foods as more appealing.
This wasn't just a conscious preference. It was an inherent shift in attention and perception. Their brains were prioritizing what felt safe and energy-rich. This tells you that stress doesn't just impact how you feel but also changes what you notice and value.
Before you realize it, your brain flags certain foods as 'safe' and 'essential.' It's your attention being pulled, quite literally, toward what feels most likely to help you survive.
Learning To Listen To Your Body Again
Today, shaming yourself for what you eat has, unfortunately, become almost second nature for many.
Popular media has managed to paint a picture of health and wellness as being a result of self-control. With some influencers and TikTok videos propagating rigid food rules that constantly flood your social media feed, it's easy to internalize the idea that only 'clean,' portioned or perfectly balanced meals are acceptable or rather the 'correct' way to eat.
Anything outside of that seems to deserve guilt. However, shame does nothing to improve your relationship with food. In fact, all it does is distance you further from your body.
Choosing a healthy lifestyle is, of course, valuable and empowering. It only becomes problematic when 'healthy' turns into hyper-vigilant. Being overly calculative or constantly policing your portions can take away from the actual experience of nourishment and taking care of yourself.
To genuinely take care of yourself in a healthy way, you can choose intuitive eating, which offers a different path.
This means learning to trust and listen to your body's internal cues of hunger and satiety. Practice this by responding to hunger without judgment and honoring fullness without fear. It simply invites you to listen and not restrict.
Sometimes, this might look like coming home after a long and draining day of work, after feeling anxious and overstimulated, and allowing yourself to curl up with a cozy show and that tub of ice cream or cheesecake without having to think you're doing something wrong or counting those calories.
Let yourself be and unwind. That's what care looks like for you in that moment. At the same time, developing other coping strategies can prevent emotional eating from becoming your only source of comfort or grounding. Speaking with a mental health professional can help you find the strategies that work for you.
Wondering if you show signs of an unhealthy relationship with food? Take this science-backed test to find out: Eating Attitudes Test