Phenomenological support for escape theory: a qualitative study using explicitation interviews with emotional eaters

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Phenomenology

Background:

• Emotional eating is a complex behavior often linked to emotion regulation difficulties.
• Understanding the subjective experience of emotional eating is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experience (phenomenology) of emotional eating.
• To investigate the temporal and experiential dimensions of emotional eating episodes.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving eight individuals with emotional eating.
• Utilized explicitation interviewing (two interviews per participant).
• Employed thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data.

Main Results:

• Identified nine themes detailing the unfolding of emotional eating over time.
• Discovered sub-themes illustrating the experiential aspects of emotional eating.
• Findings support the escape theory of emotional eating.

Conclusions:

• Emotional eating serves as a mechanism to escape negative emotions and reduce rumination.
• Eating facilitates a shift from narrative processing of stressors to present-moment embodiment.
• Recommends future research on self-related shifts and mindfulness-based interventions for emotion regulation without food.