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Overeating is an emotional response-and it can be for any number of reasons. Stress; anxiety; tiredness; overwork; lack of organisation-many of us end up with our face in the fridge without any real thought behind it.

Boredom: This is a huge one; mindless munching to pass the time, especially when you’re alone. Watching telly with food is asking for trouble; and never underestimate the power of all the food commercials ploughing hundreds of images of product into our cerebral cortex every hour.

Solution: Always focus on your food-sit down to your meals and don’t have them on front of the tv-and if you must snack, keep healthy things like fresh cut veggies in your fridge, or drink water, or switch focus by doing something pro-active.

Cravings: Unbalanced crash diets or ones that cut out entire food groups will make you feel deprived-that’s why a sensible balanced diet is so key. There’s a big media emphasis on thinness and restrictive dieting-but by making some foods forbidden, the desire to eat it gets stronger. Once the ‘bad’ food is consumed, feelings of guilt and low self esteem invariably follow-and so more eating in an attempt to numb the negative thoughts.

Solution: Balanced diet with appropriate calorie input. Don’t starve yourself. Develop healthy eating patterns and make them become habits-have a genuine concern for your overall wellness.

Hating Your own Body: Absurd body-type ideals pound our brain every day. Airbrushed, retouched, nipped tucked and sucked people are not a sensible yardstick by which to measure yourself. One of the reasons women are unable to over come eating triggers is the inability to accept our own, real bodies.

Solution: If you’re dealing with serous self-hatred, seeking professional advice and then stick to the program you work out together. Put yourself back in control and you’ll feel brilliant about yourself. Get your power back and the pounds will stay off.

Glucose intolerance: This is a physiological trigger. In a healthy body, carbohydrates are converted to glucose and a blood glucose is maintained at a stable level. In the glucose intolerant population, carbohydrates are readily converted to glucose and the pancreas responds to this shift in blood sugar by secreting an excessive amount of the hormone, insulin. Insulin’s job is to remove the glucose from the blood stream and help it to enter the body cells. If this system is not working correctly, a quick rise in blood glucose followed by an over production of insulin which has an appetite stimulating effect. The person is driven to eat and if simple carbohydrates are chosen, the cycle continues.

Solution: Spreading the calories out by eating a small amount frequently can help maintain a normal blood glucose level. It’s tricky, this one, and Type Two Diabetes often goes hand in hand with being overweight.

Bad Habits: You may not even be aware of some of them. Too much food on the plate. Not the right food. Anything that goes ‘Bing’ when it’s ready-and then has to be unwrapped. Eating too fast, too much, too late, glued to the telly. Bad bad bad. Eating when your mouth is bored. Eating when you’re stressed.

Solution: Turning off the TV and finding a hobby you find engaging, that keeps your mind and hands busy. Another solution to stress-related overeating is to address the sources of stress. Acknowledge and address feelings of depression, anger or anxiety. Do whatever you can to reduce feelings of stress, like writing a journal, talking with a friend, or exercise.