Secret Eating: what it means and how to get support

Secret eating refers to consuming food in private or hiding the fact that you’re eating. This might mean eating when no one is around, hiding food wrappers, or pretending you haven’t eaten certain things. It often involves guilt, shame, or embarrassment.

While occasional private eating is not necessarily harmful, consistent secret eating can signal emotional distress, appetite dysregulation, or a strained relationship with food.

You might relate to this if:

• You eat when no one else is watching, even if you’re not hungry
• You hide food in odd places for secret consumption such as the car or bedroom
• You hide food wrappers, receipts, or packaging
• You eat differently in front of others than you do when alone
• You feel guilt or shame after eating
• You eat quickly or mindlessly, often out of emotional urgency
• You worry about being judged for what or how much you eat

You use eating as a way to deal with emotional stress

Secret eating usually isn’t about hunger. It’s often a response to deeper emotional or psychological triggers.

Emotional Causes

• Shame or guilt related to food, weight, or body image
  
• Fear of judgment from others
  
• Using food to cope with stress, loneliness, or emotional pain
  

Behavioural Patterns

• Restrictive dieting during the day followed by overeating in private
  
• Eating for comfort or distraction, but only when alone
  
• Habitual secrecy from childhood or past criticism about eating

Secret eating can impact both physical and emotional wellbeing:

• Weight gain from excessive, unregulated eating
• Heightened risk of binge eating or disordered eating patterns
• Increased feelings of isolation, shame, or low self-esteem
• Disconnection from natural hunger and fullness cues

These effects often reinforce the cycle: secrecy → guilt → more eating → more secrecy which can make it feel hard to break.

Practical Strategies

• Keep a food and mood journal: Track not just what you eat, but how you feel before and after
• Practice self-compassion: Remind yourself that secret eating is a behaviour, not a character flaw
• Shift to mindful eating: Eat slowly, without distraction, and tune into your body’s signals
• Challenge food rules: Rigid “good/bad” food beliefs often drive secrecy and guilt
• Open up: Talking to a trusted person or healthcare professional can break the cycle of secrecy
• Use the distraction technique: Every time you feel the urge to eat, do something else, like taking a walk or speaking to a loved one. If you still feel the urge to eat after this then you can without judgement.
• Set Times: Set regular meal and snack times and use distraction techniques for when you are tempted to eat outside of these times.

If secret eating is frequent, distressing, or impacting your health or mood, professional support can help. You don’t need to wait for it to “get worse” to reach out.

For some, GLP-1 medications may also help by reducing cravings and stabilising appetite regulation, especially when emotional and biological triggers overlap.

Medicspot offers a free 15-minute 1-2-1 call with a member of our weight loss support team. You can ask questions, discuss any concerns, and find out whether we might be able to support you.

Secret eating is often a sign that you’re struggling silently with food or emotions and you deserve support, not shame. Recognising the behaviour is the first step toward healing.

Medicspot offers a free 15-minute call with a member of our weight loss support team. We’re here to help you make sustainable, supported progress — no pressure, just a conversation.

Book your free call now.