Characteristics of binge eating disorder include eating more quickly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, eating a lot of food despite not being hungry, eating alone due to embarrassment, and feeling disgusted by overeating. Read more: Binge Eating Disorder Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
-
Binge Eating Disorder Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
Do you binge eat? Take this quick quiz to learn what binge eating is and what makes people do it.
-
Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating
Learn about different types of eating disorders. Discover the warning signs of binge eating disorder, anorexia and bulimia. Read...
-
Visual Guide to Binge Eating Disorder
Learn about signs, symptoms, treatment, and recovery for this eating disorder. Get to know how binge eating affects emotional and...
SLIDESHOW
Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating See SlideshowRelated Disease Conditions
-
Binge Eating
Second Source article from WebMD
-
Anorexia
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).
-
Bulimia
People with bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder that involves episodes of bingeing and purging, experience symptoms and signs such as deteriorating teeth, sore throat, constipation, thinning hair, and dehydration. Treatment of bulimia may involve cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy, nutritional counseling, and medication.
-
Cancer Risk Factors
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.
-
Cholesterol (Lowering Your Cholesterol)
High cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Getting your cholesterol and triglyceride levels in an optimal range will help protect your heart and blood vessels. Cholesterol management may include lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise) as well as medications to get your total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides in an optimal range.
-
Depression
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).
-
Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)
Diabetes 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.
-
Stress
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
-
Obesity
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% over their ideal weight. That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and build.
-
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law. It can cause myriad health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver, birth defects, heart disease, stroke, psychological problems, and dementia. Counseling and a few medications can be effective for alcoholism treatment.
-
Cancer
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
-
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
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.
-
Mental Health
Mental health is an optimal way of thinking, relating to others, and feeling. All of the diagnosable mental disorders fall under the umbrella of mental illness. Depression, anxiety, and substance-abuse disorders are common types of mental illness. Symptoms and signs of mental illness include irritability, moodiness, insomnia, headaches, and sadness. Treatment may involve psychotherapy and medication.
-
Emotional Eating
Emotional eating can be detrimental to one's efforts at weight loss. Learning to identify the situations and emotions that trigger overeating can help to break the habit and prevent future instances of compulsive eating.
-
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks occur in the dermis, the elastic middle layer of skin that allows it to retain its shape. When the skin is constantly stretched, the dermis can break down, leaving behind stretch marks.
-
Symptoms of 12 Serious Diseases and Health Problems
Learn how to recognize early warning signs and symptoms of serious diseases and health problems, for example, chronic cough, headache, chest pain, nausea, stool color or consistency changes, heartburn, skin moles, anxiety, nightmares, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, delusions, lightheadedness, night sweats, eye problems, confusion, depression, severe pelvic or abdominal pain, unusual vaginal discharge, and nipple changes. The symptoms and signs of serious health problems can be caused by strokes, heart attacks, cancers, reproductive problems in females (for example, cancers, fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and sexually transmitted diseases or STDs), breast problems (for example, breast cancer and non-cancer related diseases), lung diseases (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, lung cancer, emphysema, and asthma), stomach or digestive diseases (for example, cancers, gallbladder, liver, and pancreatic diseases, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease), bladder problems (for example, urinary incontinence, and kidney infections), skin cancer, muscle and joint problems, emotional problems or mental illness (for example, postpartum depression, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mania, and schizophrenia), and headache disorders (for example, migraines, or "the worst headache of your life), and eating disorders and weight problems (for example, anorexia or bulimia).
-
Protect Your Teeth: 19 Bad Dental Habits to Avoid
Bad dental habits can wreck your teeth. Teeth grinding, chewing on ice, playing sports without a mouthguard, and eating and drinking surgary foods and drinks are just a few bad habits that are bad for teeth. Giving nighttime baby bottles, opening things with your teeth, and chewing on pencils can also damage teeth and tissues in the mouth. Drinking red wine and white wine can erode enamel and stain teeth. Smoking, tobacco use, drinking coffee can all lead to tooth stains. Binge eating disorder leads to the consumption of large amounts of sugary food, which can lead to tooth decay. Purging exposes teeth to acids that can wear down enamel.
-
Compulsive Overeating vs. Binge Eating Disorder
Compulsive overeating is eating more than needed. Binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of compulsive eating, even when not hungry. Symptoms of bingeing include rapid eating, secret eating, and feeling guilty following a binge. Vyvanse is the only medication approved in the United States for the treatment of binge eating disorder.
Treatment & Diagnosis
Medications & Supplements
Prevention & Wellness
- Are You an Emotional Eater?
- Eating Disorders Linked to Suicide Risk
- Pressuring Kids to Diet Can Backfire, Damaging Long-Term Health
- Overweight Men May Feel Stigmatized, Too
- Anorexia May Have Roots in Metabolism: Study
- Body Adapts, Recovers From Occasional 'Pigging Out,' Study Finds
- Can Social Media Lead to Eating Disorders?
- Teens Often Off the Mark About Their Weight, With Unhealthy Results
- Trying Whole30 Diet? Watch Out for Weight Regain
- Obese Young Adults Prone to Binging, Purging
- How to Spot an Eating Disorder
- Eating Disorders Rampant on the Runway
- Many Women With Eating Disorders Do Recover, Study Finds
- 3 Treatments Seem to Help Combat Binge-Eating Disorder
- Health Tip: Talking to Your Child About Eating Disorders
- Health Tip: Binge Eating Can Harm Health
- ADHD Tied to Higher Risk of Eating Disorder in Kids and Teens
- New Binge-Eating Disorder Drug Vyvanse: FAQ
- Vyvanse Approved for Binge-Eating Disorder
- ADHD Drug Might Help Treat Binge-Eating Disorder, Study Suggests
- Autoimmune Diseases Tied to Eating Disorders
- Health Tip: Am I A Binge Eater?
- Men With Eating Disorders Often Ignore Symptoms
- Could More Time on Facebook Help Spur Eating Disorders?
- Genetic Risks for Eating Disorders, Alcoholism May Be Connected
- Bipolar Disorder May Vary Depending on Weight, Eating Disorders
- Lack of Sleep May Lead to Junk-Food Bingeing
- Strange Food Pairings May Signal Binge Eating: Study
- Young Binge Eaters Prone to Illicit Drug Use: Study
- Pictures of Fatty, Sugary Foods May Spur Cravings
- Eating Disorders in Women Over 50
- Preteen Food Choices May Help Predict Eating Disorders Later
- Why You Overeat Even When You're Full
- Depression and Binge Eating Linked in Teen Girls
- Binge Eating Often Overlooked in Men
- 12-Week Program Curbs Binge Eating
Subscribe to MedicineNet's General Health Newsletter
By clicking Submit, I agree to the MedicineNet's Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy and understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet's subscriptions at any time.