People who are lonely commonly turn to binge eating to cope with their feelings, with junk food frequently their choice.
New research from UCLA Health helps explain why.
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A study of 93 women found that those who felt lonely tended to have higher amounts of body fat, poor diets, more food cravings and increased levels of anxiety and depression.
They also had increased brain activity in regions tied to cravings – particularly when they were shown images of sugary and other high-calorie foods.
"These findings are interesting because it provides evidence for what we intuitively know," researcher Arpana Gupta said. "When people are alone or lonely, it impacts more than how they are feeling; they underreport what they eat, their desire to eat and their cravings, especially for unhealthy foods."
Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General warned of a loneliness epidemic, noting that nearly 1 in 2 U.S. adults struggle with feelings of loneliness and social disconnection. A report from Dr. Vivek Murthy detailed how loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, anxiety and premature death.
And loneliness isn't limited to older Americans – a common misconception. A 2021 poll of nearly 2,500 Americans found that 79% of adults ages 18-24 reported feeling lonely. That was nearly twice as high as those ages 66 and older.
Xiaobei Zhang, the UCLA Health study's lead author, said loneliness can contribute to a "vicious cycle between unhealthy eating and negative mental symptoms."
Loneliness has been connected to anxiety and depression, which also are associated with obesity.
"If you have more cravings, you eat more and may have more anxiety or depression, which may lead you to eat more," Zhang said.
UCLA researchers suggested holistic mind-body interventions may help people break this cycle. For some people, that means trying to seek connection with others. For others, it may mean practicing self-compassion. Gupta suggested people also try turning to healthy foods when experiencing cravings.
The study was published Thursday in JAMA Network Open.