 Binge Eating Disorder
Individuals who are compelled to eat abnormally large amounts of food – and who find themselves unable to control how much, how often, or how quickly they eat – are often diagnosed as suffering from a binge eating disorder. For these people, neither the lack of hunger nor feelings of being uncomfortably full can force them to stop eating.
These recurring, out-of-control periods of binge eating are often prompted by “triggers” such as feelings of personal disgust, domestic pressures, job-related stress, and social or academic failures (or perceived failures). Binge eaters are often repulsed by their behavior, frustrated by their lack of control, and consumed by guilt both during and after their binges. This shame often leads to secretive behavior, withdrawal from family and friends, and a growing sense of isolation.
Binge eaters who fail to receive effective treatment are at increased risk for developing a number of related consequences, including obesity, depression, panic/anxiety disorders, and other eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
Almost everyone has eaten more than he should at one time or another – but to meet the threshold of binge eating disorder, a person must do so on a recurring basis (at least twice a week for at least six months). Binge eaters also exhibit many of the following symptoms:
- Lack of control over the quantity and quality of the food being eaten.
- Frequent binges even when not feeling hungry.
- Eating much more quickly than is normal or acceptable.
- Consuming abnormally large amounts of food, and continuing to eat past the point of being uncomfortably or even painfully full.
- Eating alone or in secrecy due to a sense of shame related to the amount and speed with which one eats.
- Being disgusted by one’s eating habits – and one’s inability to control or change these habits.
Causes of Binge Eating Disorder
As with all types of eating disorder, binge eating is caused by a complex set of factors that are not completely understood by health experts. Many binge eaters have histories of depression, impulsive behavior, and other psychological problems, but no definitive causal relationships have been established between these conditions and a tendency to binge beyond one’s control.
Physically, many binge eaters are overweight or obese, and the majority have a history of unsuccessful attempts to lose weight – though, as with the conditions enumerated in the previous paragraph, the cause-effect relationship between dieting and binge eating is far from concrete.
Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder
Depending upon the nature and severity of an individual’s binge eating disorder, treatment may consist of outpatient therapy, hospitalization, or a stay in a residential treatment facility. Treatment often follows a three-phase approach: diagnosing and treating any physical problems, addressing underlying emotional/psychological issues, and developing strategies for continued recovery and relapse prevention.
As formerly disordered eaters regain control over their behavior, they build their sense of self-worth and rediscover their ability to form and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with other people, all of which leads to an increased likelihood that they will be able to function as healthy and productive members of their communities.
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