Reva often finds herself snacking away the evenings with a bag of potato chips. Usually the chips are just the starters to her binge of mindless eating. She has confided in her dietician that the binges usually occur when she’s alone at home.

Are you, like Reva and thousands others like her, struggling to get out of the trap of mindless eating? Do you often find yourself digging into some chatpata sev, bhujia, namkeen, gathiya, chips, fries etc? Are you usually the one who polishes off the last of the contents of the containers or bags of snacks? If yes, then fikar not yaar! With a little support and a lot of good intention, you can kick this habit for good.

What Is “Mindless Eating”?

Mindless eating is a term used for “hunger-less” eating. People exhibiting such behavior will often eat even though they are not really hungry. Such behavior is usually exhibited to satisfy an emotional need, and not a physical one. So when you settle down in front of the television with a bag of crackers (even though you have just had dinner), you are displaying this phenomenon.

Why Do We Eat Mindlessly?

Loneliness, boredom, depression and disappointment are known to be major reasons behind mindless eating. Most women use chocolate and ice cream as therapy to deal with their depression and disappointment. Bored and lonely housewives are most prone to this type of eating disorder. Some people also cite “discounts” and “extra offerings” as a reason why they snack more than they planned to. For example, if at the multiplex, you see an offer where you get a large coke free with a large bucket of popcorn….you guessed it! Such offers seem too good to be refused.

Can Mindless Eating Behavior Be Corrected?

Of course it can! With a practical and sensible approach to mindless eating, you can really overcome this eating disorder. The most important thing is to realize that you have a problem. Once you accept that, the rest is relatively easy. Keep watching this space for our next in the series. In our next article in this series, we will bring you practical tips and strategies on how to deal with mindless eating. Till then, be healthy, be lean.