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.
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.
What are causes and risk factors for binge eating disorder?
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. Individuals who are prone to obesity, either
genetically or otherwise, tend to be more likely to develop binge eating
disorder compared to those who are not obese.
Environmental risk factors for binge eating disorders include a history of being
bullied or physically or sexually abused. For Caucasian women as opposed to
African-American women, discrimination tends to be a risk factor for this
disorder as well. Other risk factors for binge
eating disorder include more exposure to negative comments about shape, weight,
and eating. People who participate in competitive sports at an elite level are
at higher risk for developing eating disorders in general.
Psychologically, binge eating
disorder is thought of by many professionals to be a form of food addiction that
is characterized by compulsive overeating. This
condition tends to be associated with increased depression, anxiety, and
substance-use disorders. Phobias and
panic disorder are the most common anxiety
problems experienced by people with binge eating disorder. Eating binges tend to be precipitated by a number of things,
like dietary restrictions, hunger, and negative moods.
What are symptoms and signs of binge eating disorder?
Signs and symptoms of binge eating disorder include recurring episodes of
binge eating without engaging in purging, excessive exercising, the use of
medications, or any other behaviors that are often used by bulimic individuals to
attempt to compensate for the binge episode. People with this mental illness
tend to engage in stress eating, take longer to feel full, and are more likely
to feel like they are starving when that is not the case. The
binge episodes are associated with at least three of the following
characteristics:
Eating more rapidly than normal
Eating when not physically hungry
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating alone because of shame
Feeling
disgusted with oneself, depressed, or guilty after overeating
Also, the individual with binge eating disorder experiences marked distress
regarding their binge eating.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly
elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above
140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, conversely, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. High cholesterol treatment includes lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), and medications such as statins, bile acid resins, and fibric acid derivatives.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by markedly reduced appetite or total aversion to food. Anorexia is a serious psychological disorder and is a condition that goes well beyond out-of-control dieting. With anorexia, the drive to become thinner is actually secondary to concerns about control and/or fears relating to one's body. There are psychological and behavioral symptoms as well as physical symptoms of anorexia including: depression, social withdrawal, fatigue, food obsession, heart and gastrointestinal complications, kidney function, flaky skin, brittle nails, and tooth loss (this list is not exhaustive).
Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been
considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.
That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and
build.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to suffer repeated obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms include irresistible impulses despite a person's realization that the thoughts are irrational, excessive hand washing, skin picking, lock checking, or repeatedly rearranging items. People with OCD are more likely to develop trichotillomania, muscle or vocal tics, or an eating disorder. Treatment for OCD includes psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication.
Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by episodes of secretive excessive eating (bingeing) followed by inappropriate methods of weight control, such as self-induced vomiting (purging), abuse of laxatives and diuretics, or excessive exercise. Purging and nonpurging are the two types of bulimia. There are five basic criteria in the diagnosis of bulimia.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
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