Have you ever reached for the biscuit tin when you're feeling a bit down?

Made yourself a nice cheese toastie, or headed to the shops for a Dairy Milk or two? Yep, I'm sure you have - most of us have turned to old faithfuls like these at times when we need a little lift.

But a report from The Priory last month showed what it called "worrying" amounts of teenagers using food as a comfort blanket when their love lives weren't going too well. Just over 60% of the 15-24-year-olds it spoke to said they comfort-ate with chocolate, and 43% with fast food. On the surface, it's hard to see what's so surprising, or worrying about that news, but for the folks at The Priory - a network of private clinics, which treats eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia - the figures signal a deeper problem in the way we use and relate to the food we eat.

"What we're seeing is an increasing reliance on food to address emotions that we can't address in other ways, " says Dr Alex Yellowlees, medical director at Glasgow's Priory clinic. "It's all about changing the way you feel."

Paparazzi-loving celebs have done a lot to bring how we eat to attention in recent years, with people such as Gail Porter, Geri Halliwell and Mary-Kate Olsen publicly admitting that they have had issues with food, from overeating to serious anorexia and bulimia. For Ginger Spice, who has overcome bulimia and is now an ambassador for the Eating Disorders Association (EDA), food was always something that she could turn to when other parts of her life weren't working.

"You might sit in front of the TV with three bags of biscuits, rather than communicate with the world. It's just a way of dealing or coping with life, " she said in a recent interview. It's reassuring to know that even superstar celebs find it hard to put the biscuit barrel down, but why is it that young people, in particular, seem to be developing a strange relationship with what they eat?

It all starts to make a bit more sense when you think back to the moment we're born, when we associate mother's milk with love and security. Later, when toddlers take a tumble, they're more often than not given a sweetie along with a kiss to make it better. At birthdays, there's cake, at Christmas, there's chocolate and cake (again).

"Unlike animals, we don't eat food just to survive, " says Dr Yellowlees. "That link between food and loving and nurturing is completely natural - so it's not surprising we use food as a substitute if there's something lacking on an emotional level."

Add that to the amount of pre-packaged, easy to grab, high-calorie food, and the huge range of pressures on young people to do well, look good and to fit in, then comfort eating starts to make a lot of sense.

Health Scotland, which runs the health advice section on the Young Scot website, found from their own research that a high proportion of young people had concerns around how the media promoted body image.

"There's a huge amount of pressure there, " says Health Scotland's programme manager for young people, Gary Wilson.

"You've got magazines, TV, the internet - it's an information overload, and increasingly, there's no way for young people to express their emotions."

The odd Mars bar binge when our love life isn't going well is normal, and nothing to worry about, says the EDA's Susan Ringwood, who adds that a teenage body needs to consume higher calorie food than an adult's, as it is still developing.

But when that food starts to be a crutch that is masking other emotions, then it's time to pluck up the courage to seek help.

"The thing is, it's entirely curable - comfort eating needn't be a lifetime destiny, " says Dr Yellowlees, who reckons around one third of the patients he sees with fullblown eating disorders already used comfort eating as a way of controlling their emotions.

"When people begin to address the problem, they grow stronger as people, and they uncover slightly more important life issues that need to be dealt with, " she adds.

And even if telling your friends is out of the question, organisations such as ChildLine and the Eating Disorders Association are always around for advice.

The EDA saw over two million people visiting their website last year - second only to the home page, the young people's page is by far the most popular - and last year, ChildLine registered a huge increase in calls about issues with food, with more than 1300 people calling about eating disorders alone.

One group of researchers, based at Glasgow University, has even produced an interactive CD rom on bulimia, which provides a self-help guide that can be worked through in the privacy of your own bedroom.

As for Geri, she's dealing with her eating by working out what feelings made her reach for the biscuits in the first place.

"I try not to eat on feelings, you know stuffing food down. I find other ways to release my anger or to express myself, " she says.

Sounds like a good start.

What you need to know about eating disorders

COMFORT EATING

Everyone tucks into chocolate and pizza at some time when they're feeling down. The important thing to look out for with comfort eating is whether it's taking place on a frequent basis and has become part of life. In that case, it may be helpful to start thinking about why comfort eating takes place, and to look deeper at the emotions behind it.

BINGE EATING

This is seen by some experts as a less developed form of bulimia, where eating in excess is not accompanied by "purging" (getting rid of the food by being sick or using laxatives). If you are regularly bingeing then it's time to admit to yourself that there's a problem and to seek help to address what's behind it. Side effects of continued binge eating can include weight gain and development of diabetes.

BULIMIA NERVOSA

People with bulimia nervosa eat large amounts of food in binges and then make themselves sick, or take laxatives to get rid of the food (purging). They may not look overweight or underweight, but can have great difficulty in controlling how they eat - sometimes strictly dieting, at other times bingeing, which triggers feelings of shame and guilt. The National Centre for Eating Disorders states that between 4% and 10% of women suffer from bulemia. The average age of sufferers is 18.

Continuous bingeing and vomiting can do serious harm to the body, with bad breath, damage to teeth, bowel disease and even organ failure among some of the consequences.

ANOREXIA NERVOSA

People with anorexia nervosa avoid eating and lose a lot of weight. They are usually at least 15% below their recommended body weight for their height, and often feel fat, even when they are very thin. According to the National Centre for Eating Disorders, 3% of women are anorexic and five out of every 100 people reporting for treatment are men. The average age for anorexia is 16. People with the condition can develop a range of physical problems in the long and short-term, including brittle bones, heart problems and difficulties with fertility. When very unwell, people can become extremely weak and, without special help, some will die. Recovery from anorexia is in proportion to the length of time a sufferer has the illness before it is addressed. So, it is very important if you think you are becoming anorexic, you seek help as soon as possible.

FOR HELP

Visit the Eating Disorders Association (EDA) website at www.edauk.com

A CD rom to help deal with bulimia is available at www.calipso.co.uk

Text the EDA on 07977493345 (std text rates) and they will get back to you within 24 hours

DO YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH FOOD?

Craig Hampsey, 22, works in Glasgow city centre

"People definitely have problems with food. We use it to numb things. Food's more readily available and more reliable, and it doesn't talk back!

"I don't think there's anything that's going to stop comfort eating, but it needs to be emphasised that it's not the answer. I think it's better to talk about things. Everyone's got someone in their life they can talk to."

Ziggy Deville, 18, student from Glasgow

"I was brought up on convenience food, but, whereas, before there was an option, fast food is so popular now. But I don't think teenagers seem that concerned about their health.

"A lot of my friends do eat healthily, but then a lot of them will comfort eat and binge and then feel really guilty and worried about it."

Claire Cossar, 20, works in Glasgow city centre

"There's a satisfaction with eating. There's an availability of cheap fast food that takes no effort - you just pick up the phone and order pizza, its really easy.

"But after comfort eating there's guilt. After you've had your huge big pizza, you say, yuck, that's really disgusting - and in the end you're just making yourself feel worse."

Louise Gray, 18, student at Strathclyde University

"I'm just addicted to chocolate! Why? I just feel I need it. I don't use it to cover up my problems, but I know people who would do that instead of talking to people, because it's easier just to eat.

"When you reach high school it's so full of pressures. You just get hit by so many things. I don't listen, but it depends on your personality. If you're feeling down, my advice would be to phone your pals."