Binge Eating disorder

This section contains the following information about binge eating disorder;

What is Binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder (BED) is sometimes compared to compulsive overeating. Binge eating and compulsive overeating are similar in the fact that the individual has an often "addiction to food". People who suffer from the disorder eat large amounts of food in very short periods of time (whereas compulsive overeaters tend to ‘pick’ at food all day). Binge eaters will consume sometimes up to 20,000 calories in a discrete period of time, much like bulimia sufferers (however these binges are not followed by purges). Because binges are not followed by methods to compensate for the calorie intake, most people suffering from binge eating disorder are in fact overweight.

Like compulsive overeating disorder, binge eating sufferers, hide from their emotions, and in fact use food to deal with complicated emotions that they possess. They are usually triggered into a binge however whereas compulsive eaters are compelled with food and eating pretty much constantly. A binge might be triggered by feelings of anger, despair, depression, sometimes boredom, loneliness and unhappiness. Therefore Desire for food is not the cause for over eating, but the pressure to evade painful feelings or emotions. Unless the underlying pain is discovered and resolved, Binge eaters find it almost impossible to relinquish the strong bind with food they have. Sufferers often feel like they have no control over their behaviour (much like bulimic patients). They like compulsive eaters eat often when they are not hungry

While binges temporarily take away negative feelings, after a binge the sufferer will feel tremendous guilt and shame. They often feel disgusted with themselves, and morbidly unhappy with their body size and shape. However, binge eaters are unable to break the cycle of binges, and continue to overeat in order to deal with life's daily stresses or emotional problems that without food would seem overwhelming to deal with.

One of the reasons for binging cycle is that certain foods are known to lift the mood of the individual, such as carbohydrates. The chemical serotonin in the brain is responsible for many functions, one being mood and thus is enhanced by such foods. Therefore when feeling particularly low the individual craves some carbohydrates for example or chocolate to increase the level of serotonin activity in the brain. This lift in emotional state is only temporary however and once the calories come and the effect has died off the individual often feel worse than before they binged.

In a binge episode the sufferer will eat in a frenzied manner, much like in the case of a bulimic...this is because they are stuffing the painful emotions down with food. They often have a sense of lack of control over the eating and once they start, find it extremely difficult to stop voluntarily until they are uncomfortably full.

Because this disorder results in the individual being overweight the health implications for that and the lack of proper nutrition can be deadly and detrimental to their well being. It is as important for their mental well being that treatment is sought after as it is for an anorexia or bulimia sufferer.

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