The Psychology of Overeating During Menopause

Without any significant change in your daily routine, are you experiencing an unexpectedly intense sense of hunger? If you find yourself in front of the fridge more frequently than you used to, you are not alone.

Research from Duval et al. (2013) shows that many women experience stronger sensations of hunger and a greater desire to eat during the transition. As frustrating and confusing as it can be, acknowledging that these changes are not just about food and there is nothing “wrong” with you might be a reassuring place to start. 

So Why Am I Feeling This Way? 

The answer is both simple and complicated at the same time: your body is changing. Menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life, it brings not only physical changes but also significant psychological ones (NICE, 2019; Ranjan et al., 2019). 

New research shows that oestrogen is far more than a reproductive hormone. It’s also linked to our brain’s serotonin (our “happy hormone”!) system. During this transition, the decline in the oestrogen levels might influence the serotonin regulations, which in turn affects mood, satiety, and emotional balance.  Additionally, the brain’s reward pathways can become more sensitive, meaning that food does not just fill our stomach, but it also becomes a stronger emotional and neurological reward (Bendis et al., 2024). Therefore, one of the biggest factors behind overeating during menopause is the dramatic decline in the oestrogen levels (Hirschberg, 2012). 

The Emotional Rollercoaster and the Urge to Eat 

And this is where things get tricky. Emotional hunger and physical hunger are not the same, and to understand the logic behind the psychology of overeating during the menopausal transition, knowing the difference between these hunger types is essential. 

Figure: Emotional vs Physical Hunger. Adapted from: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2024).

Emotions shape human behaviour in many ways, and their influence on our eating behaviours is something that we should not ignore. During menopause, women experience a range of emotional shifts. Moments of irritability, sudden sadness and waves of anxiety usually appear without a clear reason. These changes reflect the hormonal and neurological adjustments to the transition (Deshpande & Rao, 2025). 

When emotions fluctuate more easily, the desire to seek comfort increases, and food becomes one of the quickest ways to self-soothe. Research has also shown that different emotions, eating styles and individual experiences shape what we eat, which explains why some women turn to food under stress (Macht, 2008). During menopause, these emotional shifts combine with hormonal changes and make emotional eating a very understandable and usual response. 

So, What Can I Do About It? 

The good news is that once you understand why overeating becomes more likely during menopause, you can begin to respond to your hunger in a more informed way. The key is to be gentle with yourself. You don’t need strict diets or big changes. Instead, small changes in your awareness and daily habits can make a real difference. 

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (2024) offers several strategies that can help individuals respond differently to emotional triggers:

1. Build a pause between the food and the feeling. Now that you know the difference between emotional and physical hunger, try asking yourself: 

“Am I really hungry, or do I need to feel better?” 

This small moment of reflection can create a space to make a choice instead of acting automatically. 

2. Explore how you usually respond to emotions. Certain emotions can trigger certain eating patterns. For example, be aware when you feel: 

3. Bored: “I need something to do” – reaching for biscuits.

4. Stressed: “I am struggling to cope” – craving chocolate

5. In pain or Sleepless – warm milky drinks or snacks at night 

Reflecting on those patterns helps you decide whether they are actually helpful. Instead, you can seek new coping mechanisms other than food, like doing a crossword puzzle, calling a friend or seeking professional help about pain or sleep deprivation. 

3. Use mindfulness to stay in the moment. It means paying full attention to the moment. This can help you identify your feelings before they turn into eating. Useful practices include: 

4. Ten slow breaths 

5. Journaling your thoughts 

6. Meditation 

If you’re finding this stage difficult, remember that nothing about your experience is unusual. Be gentle with yourself, your body is doing its best. You can, too. 

References 

Bendis, P.C., Zimmerman, S., Onisiforou, A., Zanos, P. and Georgiou, P. (2024). The impact of estradiol on serotonin, glutamate, and dopamine systems. Frontiers in neuroscience, 18. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1348551.

Deshpande, N. and Rao, T.S.S. (2025). Psychological Changes at Menopause: Anxiety, Mood Swings, and Sexual Health in the Biopsychosocial Context. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 7(1), pp.11–14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/26318318251324577.

Duval, K., Prud’homme, D., Rabasa-Lhoret, R., Strychar, I., Brochu, M., Lavoie, J-M. and Doucet, É. (2013). Effects of the menopausal transition on dietary intake and appetite: a MONET Group Study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 68(2), pp.271–276. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.171.

Hirschberg, A.L. (2012). Sex hormones, appetite and eating behaviour in women. Maturitas, 71(3), pp.248–256. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.12.016.

Macht, M. (2008). How emotions affect eating: A five-way model. Appetite, [online] 50(1), pp.1–11. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.07.002.

NICE (2019). Overview | Menopause: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE. [online] Nice.org.uk. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23.

Ranjan, P., Chopra, S., Sharma, K.Aparna., Malhotra, A., Vikram, NavalK. and Kumari, A. (2019). Weight management module for perimenopausal women: A practical guide for gynecologists. Journal of Mid-life Health, 10(4), p.165. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/jmh.jmh_155_19.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (2024). Managing emotional eating. Website: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/managing-emotional-eating/ 

Written by: Ipek Kaplan

Reviewed by: Dr Anastasia V. Lazaridi