Chronic Pain and Comfort Eating
More than two-thirds of people with chronic pain turn to comfort food during flare-ups, according to researchers.
A survey of 141 adults with chronic pain found that the main reasons for comfort eating were:
- to have a pleasant experience (51.8%)
- distraction (49.6%)
- to reduce emotions (39%)
Comfort eating wasn’t just for the purpose of distraction or numbing negative feelings, although those were important too. For many, eating comfort foods provided a nice experience in their day and something to look forward to.
said Dr Amy Burton, co-author and lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
Author's summary: Chronic pain sufferers often eat for pleasure.