Understanding your Relationship with Food
Food is not just fuel, it’s also habit, comfort, celebration and stress relief. Learning to notice WHY you are eating, not just what, is one of the most powerful tools to help you make lasting changes to your diet. These videos can help reveal the WHY and help you connect to your body’s own signals.
Video – Introduction to non-hungry eating part 1 & Part 2 (under development)
Video – Completing a food diary (under development)
Video – Understanding hunger scale (under development)
Emotional eating
Sometimes we turn to food not because we are hungry, but because we are sad, lonely, bored or trying to soothe some other difficult feeling. This is a very common and human response. These resources look at how to recognise emotional eating. They will help you consider other ways to manage difficult feelings.
Useful Resources
Websites
NHS University Hospital Sussex
Managing emotional eating – University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Guide to emotional eating and tips for management
NHS Wirral
Template to develop an emotional eating plan
NHS GG&C Weight Management Youtube Psychoeducational Videos
Books
Understanding and Managing Emotional Eating, A Psychological Skills Workbook (2024). Author Denise Ratcliffe
Binge eating
Overeating and emotional eating are common for most people. For some people, however, eating can feel totally out of control, distressing and hard to manage. This section points you to resources that will help you recognise the signs of binge eating and things that can help.
Useful Resources
Websites
Beat
Information on what Binge Eating Disorder is
NHS Inform
Binge eating disorder | NHS inform
Binge eating self-help guide | NHS inform
Information on what Binge Eating Disorder is and a self-help guide for addressing this
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Information on what Binge Eating Disorder is and recommended treatments
Support ED Charity
SupportED – The Community Eating Disorder Charity
Information and Support Groups for those experiencing Binge Eating
Wellbeing Glasgow
Binge-Eating Self-Help | Wellbeing Services
Binge Eating resources
Centre for Clinical Interventions, Australia
Eating Disorders Self-Help Resources – Information Sheets & Workbooks
Self-help worksheets and booklets on disordered eating
Online Programme
BEAT Guided Self-Help Programme for Mild Binge Eating
Books
Overcoming Binge Eating (2013). Author Christopher Fairburn
The Compassionate Mind Approach to Beating Overeating; Using Compassion Focussed Therapy (2011). Author Ken Goss
ARFID
For some people, eating difficulties are not about weight and shape or about managing emotions. They are about sensory sensitivities, fear of choking or vomiting, or a limited interest in food. This is called ARFID – Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. This section points you to specialist resources for those with ARFID.
Useful Resources:
Websites
Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) | NHS inform
Books
The Picky Eater’s Recovery Book, Overcoming Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder 2024). Authors: Thomas, J.J, Becker, K.R & Eddy, K.T.
Mindful eating
Mindful eating is about slowing down and paying attention to taste, textures, fullness and the whole experience of the meal, rather than eating on autopilot. Mindful eating is a skill that needs time to develop. This section points you to resources that will help you build this skill of awareness, at your own pace.
Useful Resources
Websites
An overview of mindful eating and how to put this into practice.
Mindful Eating – HelpGuide.org
NHS North Cumbria – Mindful eating factsheet
Books
Mindful Eating (2009) by Author Jan Chozen Bays