Eating Too Much? – The Truth About Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating is the most common of eating disorders. People with binge eating tend to eat larger amount of food than most people, and have trouble controlling themselves from eating. The immediate result after eating is depression or guilt.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is closely associated with Bulimia Nervosa. However, one major differentiating factor is that binge eaters do not purge the food they eat afterwards, unlike bulimics. BED affects 3 percent of adults in the United States, and women are more likely to binge eat than men.

In order to diagnose BED, one might ask the following questions:

• Do you often eat until you are so full that it’s already uncomfortable?

• Do you eat extremely large amounts of food, even when you are not hungry?

• Do you eat more quickly whenever you feel the craving for food?

• Do you feel disgusted with yourself after eating too much?

• Would you rather eat alone because you are embarrassed with the huge amount of food you are eating?

If you answered yes to most of the questions above, then you might be having Binge Eating Disorder. Binge eating starts as early as adolescents, though it is seen more often in adults around mid forty’s and fifty’s. Most people with BED are obese and have health problems due to their weight. However, this does not mean that all obese people have BED. People who binge eat might also lose and gain weight, which leads to yoyo effect in dieting.

There’s no specified cause of BED, but depression is the closest factor associated with Binge Eating. Half of the people with BED has experienced depression, or are depressed. Most people who have undergone unhealthy ways of dieting also tend to binge-eat afterwards, hence the yoyo effect mentioned earlier. Harmful dieting includes skipping meals, over-exercising, and starvation.

Several studies have shown that people who are having trouble controlling their emotions are more prone to binge eating than others. During interviews, people with BED say that they tend to eat a lot whenever they are lonely, mad, worried, or stressed. As of now, researchers are looking into neurotic and genetic causes of Binge Eating Disorder.

Studies also show that people suffering with Binge Eating Disorders may become depressed because of their disgust towards uncontrollable eating. Extreme cases of people with BED reported having trouble sleeping, health problems, digestive problems, muscle and headaches, stress, and suicidal tendencies. Because binge eaters feel upset about themselves, it may affect their social activities such as school and work.

If left untreated, people with Binge Eating Disorder may result in obesity, which may in turn end in diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and even certain types of cancer.

If you suspect a loved one, or yourself with BED, it is better to seek help from professionals in order to treat it. Psychiatrists may use Cognitive behavioral therapy and psychotherapy. Health professionals may also suggest a diet program that also trains people how to control their eating. Combining Drug therapy with psychotherapy has shown positive results in treating BED so far.

What people with Binge Eating Disorder should know is that they are not alone. They should not try to keep it from their family and friends, for these people are the ones who might help in curing this Disorder. Binge Eating Disorder is easy to overcome, especially when people seek professional help from a health care provider or psychiatrists.