Psychological Factors:
In addition to physiological factors causing cravings, there are also a number of psychological factors including:
Constantly thinking about foods that we totally deny ourselves or label "off limits".
Our mind simply telling us we have cravings, or not having the will power to say no to foods.
Our mind simply responding to mental triggers such as fast food advertising and the like.
Once again, some diets that severely reduce kilojoules or calories and totally forbid some types of food can lead to some of these causes to be present, such as constantly thinking about prohibited foods for example.
Emotional Factors:
Emotional issues connected to food cravings may include:
Stress, tension, anxiety, fear or impatience.
Depression or feeling down.
Feeling tired and having low energy levels.
Boredom or unmet needs for fun, play, excitement, or recreation – in other words, too much work and not enough play.
A desire for love, appreciation, romance or sexual satisfaction.
Anger, resentment, bitterness or frustration.
Memories of happier times and wanting to return to those times.
Emptiness, insecurity or a desire for comfort.
If any of these emotional issues remain unaddressed, food cravings for "comfort food" can remain constant.
If our underlying emotional issues change however, so too will our food cravings.
If we do have some underlying emotional issue crying out for attention, it is often a good idea to get some help from a registered psychologists or similar mental health care professional.
Lifestyle Factors:
As well as physical, emotional and mental causes of cravings, there are also many lifestyle factors that can cause them, including:
Habit – we habitually eat dessert after dinner or eat a large popcorn, ice cream and a soft drink at the movies, etc.
Dieting – as we have already seen, some very restrictive diets can cause cravings and if our lifestyle is characterized by constant or yo-yo dieting this can lead to constant cravings.
Cultural aspects – because of their culture, many people have strong expectations to have certain foods at certain times and places.
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