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Binge Eating Disorder
Anorexia |
Bulimia |
Binge Eating Disorder
Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Binge Eating Disorder
Sufferers of Binge Eating Disorder have frequent episodes
of eating large quantities of food in short periods of time. They can feel
out of control, as if they are somehow compelled to eat without really
wanting to, and that they can't stop. They might feel ashamed or guilty
about what they are doing. Binge eaters often eat in secret, to attempt to
hide what they're doing. Binge eaters make up
1-5% of the general population. This disease affects both women and men.
Binge eaters can be of normal weight or overweight. Bulimics exhibit binge
eating episodes, but the bulimic will follow a binge with a purge. Like
other eating disorders, binge eating is associated with symptoms of
depression and/or a history of depression.
Risk Factors
- As many as half of all people with binge eating
disorder have been depressed in the past. Whether depression causes binge
eating disorder, whether binge eating disorder causes depression, or
whether the two have a common cause, is not known for sure.
- The trigger point can be emotion such as happiness,
anger, sadness or boredom. Impulsive behavior and certain other emotional
problems can be more common in people with binge eating disorder. However,
many people also claim that bingeing occurs regardless of their mood.
- It is also unclear whether dieting and binge eating
are related. Some studies show that about half of all people with binge
eating disorder had binge episodes before they started to diet.
- Researchers also say that binge eating disorder is
more common among competitive athletes such as swimmers or gymnasts whose
body form is regularly on public display. Affected athletes in these
sports tend to compare their own bodies in a negative way with those of
their teammates.
- Researchers also are looking into how brain
chemicals and metabolism affect binge eating disorder, but this study is
in its early stages.
- Binge eating is associated with perfectionism.
Signs and Symptoms
- Fear of not being able to control eating, and while eating, not being
able to stop.
- Isolation. Fear of eating around and with others.
- Chronic dieting on a variety of popular diet plans.
- Holding the belief that life will be better if they can lose weight.
- Hiding food in strange places (closets, cabinets, suitcases, under the
bed) to eat at a later time.
- Vague or secretive eating patterns.
- Self-defeating statements after food consumption.
- Blames failure in social and professional community on weight.
- Holding the belief that food is their only friend.
- Frequently out of breath after relatively light activities.
- Excessive sweating and shortness of breath.
- High blood pressure and/or cholesterol.
- Leg and joint pain.
- Weight gain.
- Decreased mobility due to weight gain.
- Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous relations.
- Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
- Insomnia. Poor Sleeping Habits.
Medical Definition
- Recurrent episodes of
binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the
following:
- Eating, in a discrete period of time (eg, within
any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than
most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar
circumstances;
- A sense of lack of control over eating during the
episode (eg, a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or
how much one is eating).
- The binge eating episodes are associated with at
least three 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
- Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or
feeling very guilty after overeating
- Marked distress regarding binge eating.
- The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2
days a week for 6 months.
- The binge eating is not associated with the regular
use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (eg, purging, fasting,
excessive exercise) and does not occur exclusively during the course of
anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Health Risks
- People with binge eating disorder may become ill
due to a lack of proper nutrition. Bingeing episodes usually include foods
that are high in sugar and/or salt, but low in healthier nutrients.
- People with binge eating disorder are usually very
upset by their binge eating and may become very depressed.
- People who are obese and also have binge eating
disorder are at risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease, and certain types
of cancer.
- Most people with binge eating disorder have tried
to control it on their own, but have not been able to control it for very
long. Some people miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat.
Obese people with binge eating disorder often feel bad about themselves
and may avoid social gatherings.
- Most people who binge eat, whether obese or not,
feel ashamed and try to hide their problem. Often they become so good at
hiding it that even close friends and family members don't know they binge
eat.
Sources:
Something Fishy,
Wikipedia,
WebMD,
NEDA |
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