Why are you eating? Hunger or Emotional?

The only reason you might eat is not just for food to provide your body with fuel. Emotions play a strong role for many. You might eat, for example, when you are stressed, sad or happy. Since you were not hungry in the first place, eating for emotional reasons often leads to overeating. The occasional binge is not a serious problem. You might have a binge eating disorder if it happens all the time. Your desire to eat is purely emotional if something stressful happens, and you immediately want to eat. Things, like getting into a fight with your spouse or having a bad day does not affect true hunger. It is emotional eating when an overwhelming urge to eat comes on suddenly. You should not go from "fine" to "starving" in an instant because real, physical hunger builds up slowly. It is emotional eating when you are hungry and your only desire one particular food. You might have a preference for a burger, but you know other options would be alright. But it would be emotional, if you would only be satisfied by one food and only that one food.