Two in Three People with Chronic Pain Turn to Comfort Eating

More than two-thirds of people living with chronic pain reach for chocolate or other comfort foods to cope, with new research showing that eating offers pleasure, distraction and relief from negative emotions during pain flare-ups. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings.

The researchers surveyed 141 adults with chronic pain about why they reach for food when pain flares. The results showed the main reason for pain-induced comfort eating was ‘to have a pleasant experience’ (51.8%), followed by ‘distraction’ (49.6%) and ‘to reduce emotions’ (39%).

Visit: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10880-025-10064-6