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Binge eating also occurs in 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 overexercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight.

Binge eating disorder is a newly recognized condition that probably affects millions of Americans. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control over their eating. This disorder is different from binge-purge syndrome (bulimia nervosa) because people with binge eating disorder usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives.

Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

When you have binge-eating disorder, sometimes called compulsive overeating, you regularly eat excessive amounts of food (binge). A binge is considered eating a larger amount of food than most people would eat under similar situations. For instance, you may eat 10,000 to 20,000 calories worth of food during a binge, while someone following a normal diet may eat 1,500 to 3,000 calories in a day.

Children and teens who sometimes eat a lot don’t necessarily have binge eating disorder. Kids can have huge appetites, especially during growth spurts, when they need more nutrients to fuel their growing bodies. So it can be difficult to determine whether a child has binge eating disorder. But several signs distinguish someone who binge eats from someone with a “healthy appetite.”

Binge eating symptoms are also present in bulimia nervosa. The formal diagnosis criteria are similar in that subjects must binge at least twice per week for a minimum period of three months. Unlike in bulimia, those with BED do not purge, fast or engage in strenuous exercise after binge eating. Additionally, bulimics are typically of normal weight, are underweight but have been overweight before, or slightly overweight, whereas those with binge eating disorder are typically overweight or obese.

Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

There is no single cause for eating disorders. Although concerns about weight and body shape play a role in all eating disorders, the actual cause of these disorders appear to result from many factors, including cultural and family pressures and emotional and personality disorders. Genetics and biologic factors may also play a role.

The causes of binge eating disorder are still unknown. Up to half of all people with binge eating disorder have a history of depression. Whether depression is a cause or effect of binge eating disorder is unclear. It may be unrelated. Many people report that anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety or other negative emotions can trigger a binge episode. Impulsive behavior and certain other psychological problems may be more common in people with binge eating disorder.

Biological vulnerability may play a role in developing binge-eating disorder. Both genes and brain chemicals may be involved. In addition, researchers are studying appetite regulation of the central nervous system for clues, along with gastrointestinal changes that might shed light on causes.

Certain behaviors and emotional problems are more common in people with binge eating disorder. These include abusing alcohol, acting quickly without thinking (impulsive behavior), not feeling in charge of themselves, not feeling a part of their communities, and not noticing and talking about their feelings.

Eating binges can be called compensatory behaviour. Binge eating disorder is a little more common in women than in men. People who binge may eat when they’re not really hungry and continue eating even long after they’re uncomfortably full. After a binge, they often try to diet or eat normal meals. people with binge-eating disorder often have numerous behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms. Include is depession or anxiety, eating until the point of discomfort or pain ,eating much more food during a binge episode than during a normal meal or snack ,eating faster during binge episodes and hiding empty food containers. As in other eating disorders, in binge-eating disorder people are often overly focused on and unhappy with their weight, body shape and appearance. People with binge-eating disorder often feel miserable about their lives and are at higher risk of serious health complications than are those without the disorder. Certain behaviors and emotional problems are more common in people with binge eating disorder. These include abusing alcohol, acting quickly without thinking (impulsive behavior), not feeling in charge of themselves, not feeling a part of their communities, and not noticing and talking about their feelings Brain chemicals and metabolism (the way the body uses calories) affect binge eating disorder. Many people who are binge eaters say that being angry, sad, bored, worried, or stressed can cause them to binge eat.

Causes of Binge Eating

Common Causes and Risk factors of Binge Eating

Depression.

Impulsive behavior.

Psychological problems.

Biological (genes and brain chemicals).

Sociocultural factors.

Signs and Symptoms of Binge Eating

Common Sign and Symptoms of Binge Eating

Sadness.

Depession.

Anxiety.

Weight gain.

High blood pressure.

Eating until the point of discomfort or pain

Treatment for Binge Eating

Common Treatment for Binge Eating

Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches patients techniques to monitor and change their eating habits as well as to change the way they respond to difficult situations.

Interpersonal psychotherapy helps people examine their relationships with friends and family and to make changes in problem areas.

Treatment with medications such as antidepressants may be helpful for some individuals.

Self-help groups also may be a source of support.

Family dining habits may also influence the relationships children develop with food. Try to eat some meals together as a family.

Teach children about the pitfalls of dieting, and encourage healthy eating.

I was a binge eater for over 20 years.
For me binge eating meant that I ate WAY PAST the comfortable place of feeling full – eating to the point of pain sometimes after eating so much food.
Binge eating was a frenzied hectic behavior for me – where food became the primary focus and everything else was ignored. A binge might last from 1 – 4 hours and during that time everything – even the food would become a blur. The only thing on my mind was eating another bite of something I considered a “forbidden” food such as chocolate, or caramel, or high calorie full fat haagen dazs ice cream, or deep dish pizza, or potato chips, or nachos with loads of cheese.
If you are wondering if you might be a binge eater answer the following questions:
Do you choose to eat when you are not hungry?
Do you overeat or binge on food when you feel stressed out?
Do you binge on food when you are bored?
Do you eat food as a form of comfort?
Do you eat way past the point of comfortable fullness?
Do you hide food wrappers so no one will see what you have eaten?
Do you eat alone so that no one can see the food you consume?
Do you feel bad or guilty after bingeing?
Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Do you feel compulsive about eating? Like you are driven to eat ALL of something – like an entire box of chocolates or a whole container of ice cream?
Do you feel like you are always thinking about food?
Do you plan for and look forward to times when you can eat all by yourself?
Do you hide food?
Do you eat like a normal person when you are with others and then binge in private?
Do you plan binges and go on special shopping trips to the grocery store with the sole purpose of getting special forbidden “binge” foods?
Are you concerned that you are out of control with food?
Do you eat to escape from your daily pressures?
Do you find that dieting never really works for you and that it causes you to binge even more?
Are you miserable about your relationship with food?
Do you feel like your food problems control your life?
Does your weight have an overall negative effect on your life?
If you answered yes to three or more of these statements there is a good chance that you either have trouble with binge eating or you are well on your way to creating a binge eating or emotional overeating problem in your life.
There is a natural way to be free of binge eating. I suffered from Binge Eating for over 20 years and I have recovered from it. It was a dark lonely place and I am so glad to be healed and healthy and happy and free from the food issues that seemed to control so much of my life. You can be free too.

Binge eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder. Binge eating also occurs in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control over their eating. This disorder is different from binge-purge syndrome (bulimia nervosa) because people with binge eating disorder usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives. Binge eating disorder is a little more common in women than in men; three women for every two men have it. The disorder affects blacks as often as whites. About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10 to 15 percent of people who are mildly obese. People with binge eating disorder often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel out of control during the binges. Binge eating involves more than just eating a lot.

Binge eating, Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are all considered eating disorders because they involve unhealthy patterns of eating. People with bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) binge on food and then vomit or use laxatives to avoid gaining weight. They may also fast (stop eating for a while) or compulsively exercise after an eating binge. All three of these eating disorders involve unhealthy eating patterns that begin gradually and build to the point where a person feels unable to control them. All eating disorders can lead to serious health consequences, and all involve emotional distress. Bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) is different from binge eating disorder because people with bulimia vomit or use laxatives to try to keep themselves from gaining weight after eating.

Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

1.Depression

2.Anger.

3.Sadness.

4.Boredom.

5.Anxiety.

6.Certain other emotional problems.

Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

1. Eating much more food during a binge episode than during a normal meal or snack

2. Frequent dieting without weight loss.

3. Hoarding food.

4. Hiding empty food containers.

5. Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset over the amount eaten.

Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder

Several methods are being used to treat binge eating disorder. Drug therapy, such as antidepressants, may be helpful for some people. Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches patients techniques to monitor and change their eating habits as well as to change the way they respond to difficult situations. Interpersonal psychotherapy helps people examine their relationships with friends and family and to make changes in problem areas. Self-help groups also may be a source of support. Researchers are still trying to determine which method or combination of methods is the most effective in controlling binge eating disorder.