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Emotional overeating, sometimes called "comfort eating," is not just an innocent habit.

"Children who often experience strong and variable emotions may be at greater risk of developing emotional overeating later in life," says first author Francesca Parisi, a Ph.D. research fellow at NTNU's Department of Psychology.

"Emotional overeating may initially start as a completely normal part of children's eating patterns, but high levels are linked to an increased risk of obesity and more serious eating problems later in life," says Parisi.

Finding out what drives this type of eating is therefore important so that preventive measures can be introduced early on.

A research group at NTNU initially wanted to see whether emotional instability and the ability to regulate emotions could affect the development of emotional overeating over time, as existing theory claims. Parisi worked with NTNU professors Silje Steinsbekk and Lars Wichstrøm, along with associate professor and supervisor Oda Bjørklund.

The researchers obtained data from the long-term Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS), which followed 878 children and adolescents from ages 6 to 18.

The results suggest that children with greater emotional instability and more negative emotions had an increased risk of emotional overeating.

The study found no significant differences by gender or age during childhood and adolescence.

The findings only partially support emotional overeating theories that state that the degree of mood swings and poor emotion regulation are central causes.

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