Using Guilt to Improve Health?

We can leverage guilt to make some positive health changes. Here’s how.

Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

Key points

• Feeling guilty about what we have eaten or about to eat is common.
• Feeling guilty about indulging in a high-calorie food may not impact future eating in a positive way.
• Combining awareness of guilty feelings with other strategies can be an effective way to make positive changes.

Quite often when we visit a doctor, we are given advice. This advice may be interpreted as a “should,” something that we can feel guilty about. We may also have other sources around us, reminding us that we could be doing better with our health.

Opportunities to feel guilty abound. Let’s hone in on one in particular. That would be the guilt we sometimes feel when consuming a food item that we perceive as an indulgence, whether it be an extra helping of mashed potatoes or a rich dessert like chocolate cake.

We know that, in our present situation in America, we are surrounded by high calorie, highly palatable, food items of all sorts. Food manufacturers are aware of the potential guilt involved in consuming some of these items. There is an entire branch of marketing concerned with helping consumers feel OK about eating a certain item. Tactics include labeling that makes it seem healthier than it is, or convincing people that they deserve a reward or a break that these foods can allegedly bring. (And there's an industry making people feel guilty as well.)

Guilty People

Research has identified individuals that are high in dietary concerns, and others who are low in dietary concerns. These classifications mirror other ones which classify individuals as restrictive eaters and unrestricted eaters. Restrictive eaters are typically individuals who are trying to lose weight through dieting.

Interestingly, research has uncovered some trends in both groups. When it comes to feeling guilty about consuming “indulgent” food, many restricted eaters actually dampen their enjoyment of the indulgence because of guilt. This can occur even when the person is only anticipating consumption. They already perceive that the item will not be as pleasurable as it would be without the guilt.

On the other hand, guilt does not happen to everyone. In a New Zealand study (2014), only 27% of individuals reported feeling guilty about the consumption of chocolate cake. A little over half of that group were trying to lose weight. Those who did not feel guilty viewed the chocolate cake as an appropriate celebration item.

Where Does Guilt Lead?

What can we learn from the guilty folks? What might be the result of their guilt? The New Zealand study indicates two things:

• Guilt can be productive, starting a process of self-reflection. After all, identifying a feeling of guilt indicates a certain self-awareness. Taking it a step further, that self-awareness can lead to a learning experience and some behavior change.
• Guilt can be counterproductive, in that it can lead to feelings of helplessness and loss of control. This can sometimes lead to what Polivy and Herman called the “what the hell effect,” where one perceived diet transgression can lead to letting go of all restraint.

In fact, of the cohort in the New Zealand study, the individuals who felt guilty were less successful at maintaining their weight over an 18-month period than those who viewed chocolate cake as celebratory. In this case, it seems that having guilty feelings about certain foods is not enough to stop indulgence.

The Positive Potential of Guilt

However, that is not the end of the story! There are other findings that indicate that guilt can be a positive force for change. Not all studies show that guilt does not stop a person from eating indulgent items. Some show that it can have an impact on future eating.

But not on its own. Guilt, when paired with other strategies or mindsets, has been shown to be a useful stepping stone to adopting healthier eating behaviors, and controlling impulsive indulgent eating. Here are a few ways that can happen:

1. We need to reframe the concept of dieting. Dieting implies using willpower and motivation to achieve a lower intake of food. The problem here is that that approach ignores internal signals (like guilt) and relies on making rote decisions. If the idea of dieting can be thrown out and replaced by making changes that involve internal decisions, the effect can be more sustainable.
2. Studies have shown that future-oriented individuals are more likely to be able to exert dietary control. It may be possible to leverage this by pointing out the guilty feelings and offering a future where the person does not have to feel that way.
3. Guilt may be an avenue of self-criticism, but it can be turned into a learning experience using mindfulness. Mindfulness has been shown to help people step beyond feelings of guilt to other aspects of their experience. By paying attention to what is going on with them in the moment, awareness can be brought to the situation. Things like how they feel afterward: Regretful? Too full? Unhealthy? This approach draws on the person’s own experiences, not a decision based on willpower. In this respect, guilt can be turned into a learning experience.
4. According to motivation expert, Michelle Segar (2022), it is possible to teach a technique of interrupting what she calls a “choice point.” In this case, it would be an incident with guilt-inducing potential. A person could recognize the feeling, take a pause, consider other options, and then choose an alternative that would not bring on guilt. This is not easy, and is a skill that would have to be practiced again and again. However, Segar has shown this to be a viable option.

Indulgences are often compelling, and the feelings are complicated and nuanced! Even so, we should not rule guilt out as a potential source of learning, curiosity, and change.