You can distinguish emotional hunger from physical hunger by several key signs:

Sudden Onset: Emotional hunger appears suddenly, whereas physical hunger builds up gradually.
Specific Cravings: Emotional hunger makes you crave specific foods, often high-calorie or "forbidden" ones, while physical hunger can be satisfied with a variety of foods.
Insatiability: Emotional hunger is almost impossible to satisfy, and you may continue eating even when you are physically full.
Guilt or Shame: After eating due to emotional hunger, you often experience feelings of guilt or shame.
Environmental Triggers: You may mimic others' eating behaviors, such as after seeing appetizing food photos on social media or being in a social setting where everyone else is eating.

Strategies to Cope with Emotional Hunger:

Identify Triggers: Understand what specifically triggers your emotional hunger: stress, boredom, anger, loneliness, or failure?Find Alternative Ways to Satisfy Emotional Needs: If you eat when you feel lonely, try calling a friend instead. If you eat due to stress, try meditation or walking.Practice Mindful Eating: Pay attention to what and how you eat. Enjoy each bite, and try to feel the texture, taste, temperature, consistency, and aroma of the food.Engage in Physical Exercise: Physical activity not only helps reduce stress but also improves overall well-being.