Overcome Emotional Eating at the Santa Monica Public Library

January 7, 2012 -- When you get stressed, angry, sad or happy, do you find that your first impulse is to grab something to eat?

Whether eating is your way of celebrating or coping with negative emotions, Santa Monica Public Library wants to invite you to “Overcoming Emotional Eating” with therapist and life-coach Julie Simon January 13 at 2:00 p.m. in the Main Library's Multipurpose Room..

“Despite our best intentions, many of us find ourselves routinely overeating at meals, snacking mindlessly, or bingeing regularly,” staff said. “As emotional eaters, we turn to food for comfort, soothing, reward, distraction, and excitement.”

Simon, who is also the author of The Emotional Eater's Repair Manual, will talk about alternative ways to kick the habit of overeating.

Simon “offers a new approach that addresses the true causes of overeating and weight gain,” staff said.

Those causes, according to Simon, are “emotional and spiritual hunger.” And, “body imbalance.”

Simon will present skills for those who have a hard time coping without food and “that help correct the physical imbalances triggering cravings and overeating and soul-care practices that address your soul’s hunger,” according to staff.

Overeating can lead to myriad health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.

“There’s a disconnection fueling our eating, robbing years from our lives and we know it,” staff said.

“This program is for anyone who eats when not hungry, eats beyond fullness, regularly chooses unhealthy comfort foods, feels their eating has an emotional component to it and would like to break the cycle of overeating and dieting once and for all,” staff said.

For more information, visit smpl.org or call (310) 458-8600. Seating is limited and on a first-come-first-served basis.