8 Keys to End Emotional Eating

by Howard Farkas, Howard Farkas

Bring an end to emotional eating by getting to the root of the problem. Most books about emotional eating tend to focus on how to strengthen self-restraint or how to identify what triggers it. The former can make the problem worse, while the latter may be different each time it occurs. Both approaches fail to help emotional eaters understand why they feel compelled to do something that they don’t want to do in the first place. This understanding is the key to changing this behavior. Howard Farkas, who has more than two decades of professional and teaching experience as a clinical psychologist specializing in emotional eating, explains the underlying motive that drives the behavior: emotional eating is not a passive failure of self-control, but an active impulse to reject the control of dieting. This defiant need “to be bad” usually leaves the person feeling guilty and anxious about their eating, and recommitting to their diet until the cycle repeats, and the compulsive eating recurs. 8 Keys to End Emotional Eating provides a detailed plan for breaking this pattern. By explaining the root cause that drives the desire to binge, Farkas offers practical skills to help you learn to change your mindset about dieting and end the impulse to binge. His road map for the future will help readers maintain healthy eating habits for years to come.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who's struggled with anxiety, depression, and issues with unwanted binge eating or stress eating for years, I appreciate that this book goes into multiple possible psychological patterns and motivations that are driving the "out-of-control" eating and provides some practical ways to start changing the behavior. This is not a "diet" book, which is a good thing - it doesn't devote energy to equating body size/weight with health or assuming that people should want to be skinny, maintains what I felt was a neutral tone toward people wanting to lose weight, and even makes a case for why dieting or exercising a lot can be counterproductive if you're trying to lose weight (not that it is bad to follow a particular diet for, say, moral, ethical, environmental, etc. reasons, or to exercise for other reasons).

[Fleur · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes some insightful observations. He situates the framework of emotional eating between the two opposing desires of wanting to fit in vs. exercising free will/autonomy. While there is truth in this, the author fails to provide any existential framework for which these opposing pulling powers are situated on. To feel socially accepted vs to feel in control will forever be unattainable unless the point of reference is something that is independent itself. Seeking others' approval (or my own approval or whims) fails short long term - anxieties about the future (i.e. loss of youth, job, health) or in fact the reality of death I'd argue plays the most foundational basis in this paradigm which is not covered. Without the existential framework, the offered "keys" are helpful on a superficial surface level but fail to address the deepest roots of human need for security, autonomy, and contentment (regardless of the events of one's life).

[Marissa Savala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read and a new insight into emotional eating/ binge eating. I enjoyed the psychological principles that explained the thoughts and feelings preceding an episode of binge eating, and the suggested mindset shifts to overcome it. This was very helpful, and I would recommend to anyone struggling with weight, body image, or diet culture.

[Heather Beery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book 5 stars because the content seemed sound and useful, for people who are prone to eating outside the bounds of hunger. However, while not overtly stating that following the keys will lead to weight loss, it is definitely implied. The book also contains some fatphobic language such as “overweight.” As a therapist I would hesitate to recommend this book due to these issues. Which is frustrating because the keys could be very helpful.

[Aditi Chaturvedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of the best books you can find about emotional eating. It has none of the dumb suggestions that you find influencers dishing out on social media.

It helps you get to the root cause of your emotional eating and create a healthy and sustainable mindset around food and eating.