LIVED EXPERIENCES OF OBESE YOUNG WOMEN FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF EMOTIONAL EATING: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Emotional eating behavior is a type of eating behavior without physiological need and is defined as eating in response to stress and negative emotions. The most well-known consequence of emotional eating is weight gain. Not enough information is available about other consequences of emotional eating. The aim of this study was to explain the lived experiences of obese young women about the consequences of emotional eating.

This study was performed by qualitative method with hermeneutic phenomenological approach in 2020. Participants in this study were 17 young women living in Kermanshah or Karaj. These participants had emotional eating and a body mass index of 30 or higher. They were selected using purposive sampling method with maximum diversity approach. Data were collected through in-depth individual and face-to-face interviews and analyzed using the seven-step method of Dickelman et al.

In this study, the main theme was identified as "harmful consequences". This theme was obtained by combining 4 sub-themes called "harmful physical consequences", "undermining self-confidence", "undermining weight control self-efficacy", and "overeating stigma”.

The consequences of emotional eating cause a decline in quality of life in physical, psychological, and social dimensions and make people prone to some physical illnesses and mental health disorders. This highlights the importance of therapeutic interventions in the management of emotional overeating.