With the harvest season of autumn, Chuseok is just around the corner.
During this time, foods rich in carbohydrates and sugar such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, chestnuts, and jujubes are in season, and people tend to consume high-calorie and greasy holiday foods. If you are not careful, this can easily lead to overeating.
Overeating refers to consuming more food than necessary at one time. It can occur when irregular eating habits lead to eating too much at once or eating so quickly that you consume excessive amounts before feeling full.
Additionally, psychological factors such as stress, depression, or anxiety may lead people to seek comfort in food. Environments where food is abundant and self-control is difficult, as well as special occasions like holidays, family gatherings, and festivals, can also trigger overeating.
Consuming more food than the body needs overloads the digestive system, which can cause indigestion symptoms such as heartburn, belching, and abdominal bloating. Eating a lot of high-calorie foods in a short period can also lead to easy fat accumulation and weight gain.
Blood sugar levels may spike and then drop rapidly, causing drowsiness or fatigue. If you lie down or fall asleep before digestion is complete, it puts additional strain on the digestive organs. Repeated overeating can lead to chronic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, so caution is necessary.
To prevent overeating, it is best to moderately enjoy seasonal autumn foods while maintaining a balanced diet that includes dietary fiber and protein. At the start of a meal, it is effective to eat light foods such as vegetables or greens before high-calorie dishes. Using a small plate to portion out food can also help control intake.
Chew food slowly to help you feel full, and if you feel hungry between meals, opt for healthy snacks like nuts or fruits. This helps prevent overeating and supports healthy eating habits.
If you inevitably overeat, it is important to drink plenty of fluids to promote digestion and help expel sodium. For mild indigestion, drinking peppermint tea, ginger tea, or green tea, or doing some stretching or taking a walk can be beneficial.
It is advisable to skip the next meal or replace it with a light, vegetable-based diet to give your digestive system a rest. Sometimes people resort to extreme fasting after overeating, but this can actually stress the body or may not be suitable depending on individual health conditions, so caution is needed.
If the feeling of fullness persists even after some time has passed since overeating, it is recommended to rest your digestive system by fasting for about 6 to 12 hours. During this time, drink plenty of water to maintain hydration. For your first meal after overeating, choose easily digestible foods such as rice porridge or vegetables to help your body recover.
Lim Taewon, head of the Gastroenterology Department at Daedong Hospital, advised, "During Chuseok or autumn, people tend to overeat more often for various reasons, but it is important to recognize that this behavior negatively affects your health and to consciously manage your eating habits." He added, "A sudden increase in appetite may be due to environmental factors, but if it causes discomfort in daily life or is difficult to manage alone, it could be a symptom of an illness, so it is best to visit a nearby medical institution and seek professional help."
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