A person with a binge-eating disorder consumes a large amount of food within two hours, and does it often. Having a binge eating disorder means being unable to control the amount of food consumed. You are unable to stop eating, even when you are full.
Most of us overeat from time to time, and many people often feel they've eaten more than they should have. But, does this mean we are "binge eaters?" Probably not: Eating a lot of food does not always mean that a person has an eating problem.
How Common Is Binge Eating?
Binge eating disorder is a relatively recently recognized disorder and is thought by some to be the most common of the eating disorders.
About 2% of all adults in the U.S. (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10% to 15% of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight-loss programs have this condition. The disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.
Unlike other eating disorders -- such as bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa -- a substantial number of men suffer from binge eating disorder, but it is still more common in women. It is more common among the severely overweight, but can be found among people of any weight.
What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?
No one knows for sure what causes binge eating disorder, but there are several factors that are thought to contribute. Genetics and biology seem to play a role in the development of the disease. Researchers are actively studying how abnormalities in levels of certain neurochemicals in the brain can contribute to binge eating. Individual psychology is also thought to play a role: about 50% of people with binge eating disorder suffer from depression, and it is thought that negative emotions -- anxiety, shame, and guilt -- contribute to out-of-control eating behaviors. Social and cultural factors also likely play a role in binge eating disorder, as food can become a way to show love, get comfort, or even induce guilt. The food industry and wide availability of processed foods can make it more difficult to be in tune with what will nourish our bodies. As well, Western culture emphasizes a desire for thinness. Many people with binge eating disorder have been on multiple diets.
Is Binge Eating Unhealthy?
Yes, binge eating has been linked to the following conditions.
- Malnutrition
- Depression
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Gallbladder disease
- Heart disease
- Cancer
What Are the Signs of Binge Eating Disorder?
Someone with a binge eating disorder has frequent episodes of binge eating, occurring at least two days a week for six months.
Binge eating episodes are associated with at least three of the following symptoms.
- Eating rapidly
- Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
- Eating when not hungry
- Eating alone because of embarrassment
- Feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty after overeating
While binge eaters are typically distressed about this pattern, they do not induce vomiting, fast, or abuse laxatives or diuretics.
Binge eating also occurs with another eating disorder, called bulimia nervosa. Persons with bulimia nervosa, however, usually purge, fast, or do strenuous exercise after they binge eat. Purging means vomiting or using a lot of diuretics (water pills) or laxatives to keep from gaining weight. Fasting is not eating for at least 24 hours. Strenuous exercise, in this case, means exercising for more than an hour just to keep from gaining weight after binge eating. Purging, fasting, and over exercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight.
Often, a person with binge eating disorder feels overweight and has a history of trying to lose weight many times. Yet many failed diets may leave them feeling powerless over the binge-eating pattern.
How Is Binge Eating Treated?
Binge-eating disorder is best treated with a combination of approaches. Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and insight-oriented therapy, can help patients learn to recognize the thoughts and feelings that can trigger binge eating. Group therapy can also be quite helpful in helping patients feel less shame around their symptoms. Some self-help strategies such as keeping a journal and meditation can help people to identify and tolerate difficult feelings that can lead to binge eating. Nutritional counseling can be used to educate the patient about healthy food choices and, more importantly, about how to recognize the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. Finally, for some people, certain medications such as antidepressants can help to treat associated depressive symptoms and in some patients can help regulate the urge to binge eat.
WebMD Medical Reference
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Top Binge Eating Disorder Related Articles
Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
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.
What's the Difference Between Anorexia and Anorexia Nervosa?
The word "anorexia" by itself simply describes the symptom of not being able or willing to eat. This can be caused by mental illness, but also by medical problems and chemotherapy for cancer, as well as infections and other disorders. "Anorexia nervosa" is the term for someone who fits the psychological criteria for a clinical eating disorder, the main symptom of which is self-starvation.
Binge Eating Disorder
Learn about signs, symptoms, treatment, and recovery for this eating disorder. Get to know how binge eating affects emotional and mental health.
Binge Eating Quiz
Do you binge eat? Take this quick quiz to learn what binge eating is and what makes people do it.
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.
Cancer Risk Factors and Causes
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 Management: Lower, Treat and Prevent High Cholesterol
High cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions. Managing and getting your HDL and LDL cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels within normal ranges will lower risk, improve overall health, and 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.
Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating
Discover the warning signs of binge eating disorder, anorexia and bulimia. Read about the symptoms and causes of eating disorders as well as treatment options.
Obesity and Overweight
Get the facts on obesity and being overweight, including the health risks, causes, reviews of weight-loss diet plans, BMI chart, symptoms, causes, surgical and nonsurgical treatments, and medications.
Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but chronic or severe stress can be harmful to your health. Learn what happens in your body when you are stressed and how you can manage your response.
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).