Binge Eating Disorder

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Binge eating disorder is a mental illness that is characterized by recurring episodes of binge eating without efforts of the individual with this illness trying to control their weight by undoing the binge episodes by purging, excessively exercising, and/or inappropriately using medications like laxatives or diet pills.



• Binge eating disorder affects about 3.5% of women and 2% of men over the course of a lifetime, with most developing the condition during adolescence or early adulthood.



• About one-third of individuals with binge eating disorder are males. There seems to be no difference in how often binge eating disorder occurs based on ethnic group.



• About 65% of people with binge eating disorder are obese (20% overweight or more), with even more being generally overweight.



• Individuals who develop binge eating disorder are at higher risk of also having another psychiatric illness.



• Binge eating disorder tends to persist for more than 14 years, with only 7% resolving after the first year of having the illness.



• As with most other mental disorders, there is no one specific cause for binge eating disorder. Rather, it is the result of a complex group of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.



• People with this illness tend to lose weight from adopting a low-calorie diet and some will regain weight in the long term. Medications that have been found to be effective in reducing the number and amount of binge episodes in binge eating disorder include topiramate (Topamax), serotonergic (SSRI) medications, and sibutramine (Meridia).



• While psychotherapy alone does not tend to result in long-term weight loss in individuals with binge eating disorder, it can be a key component of the treatment of the emotional problems that are often associated with this disorder.



• People with binge eating disorder seem to be at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and abnormal cholesterol levels compared to similar-weight individuals without this eating disorder.



• Binge eating disorder seems to persist for more than 14 years, with only 7% resolving after the first year of having the illness.



• Teaching teens and adults about resisting societal pressure toward thinness, understanding what determines body weight, the negative effects of eating disorders, and encouraging good self-esteem, stress management, healthy weight control, and acceptance of their bodies have been found to be helpful in the prevention of eating disorders.