When most people think of eating disorders, immediately they imagine a starved celebrity, probably suffering from anorexia or bulimia, but few realize that the most common and unspoken eating disorder is, in fact, binge-eating disorder.
Drawing the line
Because it is normal for people to overeat on occasion, some may find it difficult to determine whether or not they have binge-eating disorder. Binge-eating disorder is characterized by regularly eating excessive amounts of food and where a binge lasts anywhere from two hours to an entire day. People who binge-eat may continue to eat, even after feeling like they are full. Binge-eaters may, or may not, be obese or overweight. Typically a binge is followed by guilty feelings and therefore the binge-eater tries to restrict their diet. This restriction on food usually leads the binge-eater to another binge-period.
Symptoms of binge-eating include eating until discomfort, eating fast, frequent dieting without weight loss, eating alone, hoarding food, hiding empty food containers, feeling disgusted over amount eaten and depression. Some experts believe that binge-eaters may have a form of bulimia; only, they do not purge themselves after a binge.
Binge-eating can cause many psychological and physical health effects. Complications can include obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, muscle pain, headaches, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and sleeping problems. People with this disorder typically have a poor self-image and may have struggled in the past with psychological issues or sexual abuse.
Binge-eating is not preventable, but parents can initiate healthy eating habits in children at an early age. Keeping healthy foods in the fridge and building self-esteem are two ways to begin.
While there are many self-help treatment methods and medications available, cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment method. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches people how to substitute unhealthy habits for healthy ones and helps them deal with emotions that trigger the need to binge in the first place.
Coping methods may include yoga, journaling or even exercise like walking. Constantly berating oneself for overeating will not resolve the problem, so the best advice is to move towards a healthy future- – and never look back.