Reviewed by최연승대표원장
Because of stress, I keep binge eating. How should I solve it?
Stress-related binge eating isn't just a willpower issue. Check your condition with this list: ✓ Does binge eating only occur right after stress? (cortisol response) ✓ Do you feel bloated or have an ongoing urge to eat more after eating? (possible spleen deficiency) ✓ Distinguish true hunger from emotional hunger. ✓ In Korean medicine, this is seen as liver qi stagnation with weakened spleen function. Treatment may focus on soothing the liver and restoring digestive function.
The pattern of binge eating whenever you're stressed must be really tough. I sympathize deeply—I used to rush to the convenience store for ice cream after work myself. In Traditional Korean Medicine, stress creates a condition called ‘liver qi stagnation (肝氣鬱結)’. When the liver fails to circulate energy smoothly, emotional regulation falters and appetite centers are disturbed, leading to an uncontrollable hunger. At the same time, if spleen function weakens (spleen deficiency, 脾虛), food is not properly digested, and ‘phlegm-fluid (痰飮)’ accumulates, creating a vicious cycle that makes you want to eat even more. Trying to block all binge eating from the start can actually increase stress. Instead, start with small habits: for example, just before a binge, pause for 5 seconds and ask yourself, ‘Am I truly hungry right now, or am I just upset?’ This step helps distinguish emotional hunger from physiological hunger. Korean medical treatment focuses on promoting liver qi circulation to lower the stress response itself and strengthening spleen function to stabilize digestion and energy metabolism. Acupuncture and herbal medicine both target the root cause of binge eating, so it's different from short-term, forced weight-loss methods. The goal is not to force you to endure, but to help your body feel comfortable so that your appetite naturally regulates itself.