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Life changes and stressful events are often triggers as individuals try to cope with emotional issues by gaining control of at least one part of their life (weight or food). Nature and nurture are also thought to play a role in developing these disorders. Hormones, chemicals in the brain, genetics and the importance that family places on looks, developing bodies, diet and exercise can also contribute to many forms of disordered eating.

Depression and obesity have swept over America as an epidemic and both contribute to each other. Binge-eating disorder is now the most common eating disorder in the nation, affecting three percent of U.S. adults. People with this disorder, like bulimics, eat large amounts of food in short periods of time. However, binge eaters do not purge and therefore tend to be overweight or obese which can lead to other health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, gallbladder and heart disease and many types of cancer. People with binge-eating disorder eat when they are not hungry or when they are full. Eating is usually done to fill an emotional void or deal with a psychological stressor. They typically eat alone and feel disgusted and depressed for overeating, creating a vicious cycle. Unlike the other eating disorders, binge eating is most commonly seen in an older population (46 to 55 years old), affects all ethnic groups, and is seen almost equally among men and women.

Emotional eating can be learned and/or triggered by stress or boredom. Symptoms of stress eating can easily be noticed by writing down your daily caloric intake and asking whether or not you are hungry at that time. If you discover that you are mindlessly eating due to boredom, stress or a simple life change then you are more than likely eating emotionally and should redirect your habit. Redirecting a habit is simply replacing one activity with another. This will slowly wean an individual from something that has been a routine in his or her lifestyle. For example, if a person tends to mindlessly eat potato chips during a movie, instead choose to chew sugarless gum. Slowly replacing a very habit with a better habit. Being able to recognize the main cause and environment that make people choose to emotionally eat is by far the best prevention.