BINGE EATING DISORDER (COMPULSIVE OVEREATING)

Binge eating is overeating large quantities of high calorie food. Binge eaters may or may not purge. Many are overweight for their age and height. The binge eating behavior occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months. Eating may be continuous throughout the day or may be infrequent large binges.

People with binge eating disorder often eat secretly, feel out of control while eating, and may hoard and hide food from others. Binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of the following:

eating much more rapidly than normal
eating until feeling uncomfortably full
eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating or
feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating

Many compulsive overeaters use food as a coping mechanism to deal with their feelings like stress or depression. Eating makes them feel better, but only for a short time. Usually, compulsive overeaters feel guilty for eating so much, which makes them feel bad about themselves. This leads to more stress, which leads to more overeating, and the cycle continues. It is hard to stop, especially when the overeater has trouble dealing with emotions like anger, sadness, and loneliness.

Binge eating disorder leads to obesity and serious health problems, such as:

high blood pressure
high cholesterol levels
heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels
diabetes
gallbladder disease
joint pain and
fatigue

Binge eating disorder can be treated and a healthy weight restored. The sooner it is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. A comprehensive treatment plan may be necessary involving medical care and monitoring, psychosocial interventions, and nutritional counseling.

For more information, contact:

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders at (847) 831-3438 or visit their website at www.anad.org or
The National Eating Disorders Association at 206-382-3587 or visit their website at www.NationalEatingDisorders.org

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File MENT4471.rf2 VRS# 6912 Data Version 7.0