Nutrition: what is hedonic eating?

Our relationship with food is complex and often unhealthy.

Have you ever caught yourself snacking, even after a healthy and satisfying meal, just for fun? If so, you may be falling victim to an eating habit that experts call “hedonic eating.”

“Scientists explain this eating habit by the fact that it is not motivated by hunger, but by the desire to consume food with the aim of pleasing oneself. This eating habit gets its name from the Greek word “hedone,” meaning “pleasure” (Hedone is also the goddess of pleasure in Greek mythology).

Although some degree of pleasure is involved in almost all voluntary food intake, hedonic eating, in the absence of a need for calories, is often associated with societies where food is easy to find and hunger is rare.

Our body runs on food energy, which is the calories we receive from the foods and drinks we consume. When we burn more calories than we take in, our body responds by increasing our appetite. Indeed, our stomach is equipped with a hormonal system which tells our brain that it is empty. This is called “physical hunger.”

According to scientists, we speak of “hedonic hunger” when we do not feel biological hunger, but are primarily driven by the desire to consume food for the purpose of pleasure.

“Almost everyone has hedonic eating habits and everyone has goal-directed behaviors motivated by pleasure,” says James Stubbs, professor of appetite and energy balance at the University of Leeds, UK. United.

“For some people, food is a greater pleasure than for others.

Professor Stubbs adds that apart from pleasure, our eating habits are mainly linked to other variables, including emotions, avoidance of stress and discomfort, which he says “blurs the distinction between physical hunger and hedonic hunger.

But is it a big bowl of green leaves, some sliced ​​cabbage, or perhaps some Brussels sprouts that attract people when they’re looking for pleasure in eating? Not really.

“We naturally find foods high in fat, salt and sugar gratifying because they are good sources of energy,” explains Dr Bethan Mead, senior lecturer and researcher in the Appetite and Health Research Group. University of Liverpool Obesity.

“We are drawn to these foods for the energy they provide and the pleasure we get from eating them. It can be difficult to distinguish between craving these foods for their pleasurable properties (hedonic hunger) and the biological sensation of physical hunger.

The prevalence of foods high in fat, salt and sugar is also considered one of the factors triggering hedonic eating.

This hedonistic motivation to consume unhealthy foods has been widely associated with obesity.

“We are now surrounded by a superabundance of highly palatable foods that are easy to obtain and ready to eat,” says Professor Stubbs.

“This creates a sort of recipe for weight gain and obesity in modern society. It’s no surprise that one in eight people currently suffer from obesity.”

In theory, there’s nothing wrong with eating for pleasure, experts say, because it stimulates a rewarding feeling, but the risk of overeating, addiction and obesity raises alarm bells.

A Turkish study published in January 2024 in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics analyzed the relationship between hedonic hunger and adults suffering from obesity.

They found that as hedonic hunger increased in overweight adults, self-esteem decreased and weight self-stigma increased.

So what can we do to avoid overconsumption due to hedonic eating?

“Research tells us that hedonic hunger can decrease when people lose weight,” answers Dr. Mead.

“It may be that people who do this are able to change the way they respond to these foods, or the way they find them rewarding changes.

Losing weight, developing new eating habits or adopting a new healthy lifestyle is not always easy. But it is possible to make it an enjoyable hedonic activity, says Professor Stubbs.

“For example, if you want to increase your physical activity, think about activities that give you more pleasure. Would it be going to the gym? Maybe not. Would it rather be walking with friends or dancing?

“The key is to try to understand what aspects of pleasure motivate your life and try to align your new habits with the things that give you pleasure. »

Mindful eating could also be a way to avoid overconsumption based on hedonic eating.

But “the cabbage diet will not last,” adds Professor Stubbs, who instead advises a more balanced approach to diet.

“We don’t want to prevent people from indulging in hedonic eating,” says Professor Stubbs, “we want to redirect pleasure towards healthier eating.”

“We want to redirect pleasure towards healthier eating.”

He says it is possible to develop a more positive relationship with food, without compromising the pleasure that hyper-palatable foods provide.

“You can move towards what we call an 80:20 lifestyle,” says Professor Stubbs.

“If you consume 80% of foods that are low in calorie density, nutrient dense and more enjoyable to eat, you have 20% left to enjoy rewards and treats that add pleasure to life and are often linked to occasions and important social situations.