[The relationship between emotional eating and rumination]

While the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in developed societies in both adults and children, prevention and treatment are insufficiently successful. Therefore, it is crucial to explore obesogenic eating behaviors and their background as comprehensively as possible. Emotional eating is a learned coping strategy for alleviating negative emotional states caused by psychosocial stressors, which, in addition to predisposing to obesity, is one of the biggest intrapersonal obstacles to effective weight control. The tendency to emotional eating is related to rumination. Rumination can be defined as perseverative thinking, which involves a repetitive, passive focus on the feeling of distress and its possible causes and consequences. Ruminative thoughts are difficult to control, disrupt cognitive functioning, and may be associated with emotional dysregulation and more intensive negative emotions. In this study, we review the studies supporting the relationship between emotional eating and rumination and formulate practical recommendations for those working in the clinic. Orv Hetil. 2025; 166(16): 606–612.