Most of us have been guilty of emotional eating at some point in our lives. Emotional eating basically entails using food as a coping mechanism for emotions such as shame, guilt, disappointment or even boredom. Psychologists report that it’s a growing problem, and it may even contribute to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. The emotional eater tends to address the emotions that surround a stressful experience, rather than the stressor itself. Avoidance is the name of the game here. So if you argue with your partner and cope with emotional eating instead of working it out, then the problem is compounded. Not only has the argument been left unresolved, but the emotional eater also has to deal with his or her feelings about the emotional eating episode. When it becomes habitual – constantly relying on food for comfort or avoidance, mindlessly eating or overeating – it can form an addiction to food, much like drug or sex addiction. The addicted emotional eater is unable to resist the temptation to feed his or her feelings when triggered.

So what sort of impact can it have on a relationship? First, avoiding the negative feelings associated with emotional eating can distance an emotional eater from his or her partner. When you don’t “need” another person to talk out feelings and come to a resolution, that can spell doom for the relationship. Not sharing your feelings means withholding a part of yourself from your partner. Facing those feelings can be scary for emotional eaters, and food can help mask them, much like alcohol or drugs, serving as an escape. Psychologists suggest switching to “problem-focused coping,” which basically means facing problems head-on instead of avoiding them. It’s not an overnight fix for emotional eaters who have hung on to the habit for perhaps years, so the help of a therapist may be needed. A supportive partner is also helpful.