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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005 |
Location: Hemet,CA |
Age: 37 |
Posts: 2,265 |
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Binge Eating Disorder
Mental Health:
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder, also known as compulsive overeating, is a newly recognized eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses in which emotions and thinking patterns cause a person to adopt harmful eating habits, such as overeating or starving. Often, these habits are a way of coping with depression, stress or anxiety.
Binge eating disorder is a serious condition characterized by uncontrollable eating and a resulting weight gain. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food (beyond the point of feeling full) while feeling a loss of control over their eating. Although the binging behavior is similar to what occurs in bulimia nervosa, people with binge eating disorder usually do not engage in purging by vomiting or using laxatives.
Many people who have binge eating disorder use food as a way to cope with uncomfortable feelings and emotions. These are people who never learned how to properly deal with stress, and find it comforting and soothing to eat food. Unfortunately, they often end up feeling sad and guilty about not being able to control their eating, which increases the stress and fuels the cycle.
What Are the Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder?
Most people overeat from time to time, and many people believe they frequently eat more than they should. Eating large amounts of food, however, does not mean that a person has binge eating disorder. Most people with serious binge eating problems have some of the following symptoms:
Frequent episodes of eating what others would consider an abnormally large amount of food
Frequent feelings of being unable to control what or how much is being eaten
Eating much more rapidly than usual
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating large amounts of food, even when not physically hungry
Eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity of food being eaten
Feelings of disgust, depression or guilt after overeating
Fluctuations in weight
Feelings of low self-esteem
Loss of sexual desire
Frequent dieting
What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?
The exact cause of binge eating disorder is still unknown, and researchers are just beginning to understand the consequences of the disorder and the factors affecting its development. Like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder seems to result from a combination of psychological, biological and environmental factors.
Binge eating disorder has been linked to other mental health disorders. Nearly half of all people with binge eating disorder have a history of depression, although the exact nature of the link is unclear. Many people report that anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety or other negative emotions can trigger an episode of binge eating. Impulsive behavior and certain other psychological problems also seem to be more common in people with binge eating disorder.
Eating disorders, including binge eating disorder, tend to run in families, suggesting that a susceptibility to eating disorders might be inherited. Researchers also are looking into how brain chemicals and metabolism (the way the body burns calories) affect the development of binge eating disorder.
People with binge eating disorder often come from families that overeat or put an unnatural emphasis on food; for example, using it as a reward or as a way to soothe or comfort.
How Common Is Binge Eating Disorder?
Although only recently recognized as a distinct condition, binge eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder. Most people with binge eating disorder are obese (more than 20% above a healthy body weight), but normal-weight people also can be affected.
Binge eating disorder probably affects 2% of all adults, or about 1 million to 2 million Americans. Among mildly obese people in self-help or commercial weight loss programs, 10% to 15% have binge eating disorder. The disorder is even more common in those with severe obesity.
Binge eating disorder is slightly more common in women than in men. The disorder affects African Americans as often as Caucasians; its frequency in other ethnic groups is not yet known. Obese people with binge eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder. They also might have more frequent episodes of losing and regaining weight.
How Is Binge Eating Disorder Diagnosed?
Identifying eating disorders can be challenging, since secrecy, shame and denial are characteristics of the diseases. As a result, the illness can go undetected for long periods of time. In most cases, binge eating disorder is discovered when a person requests professional help with weight loss, or seeks treatment for an obesity-related health problem.
If cases of suspected binge eating disorder, the doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and physical examination. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose eating disorders, the doctor might use various diagnostic tests, such as X-rays and blood tests, to rule out physical illness as the cause of the symptoms.
If no physical illness is found, the person might be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, health care professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for an eating disorder.
How Is Binge Eating Disorder Treated?
Treatment of binge eating disorder is challenging because most people feel ashamed of their disorder and try to hide their problem. Often they are so successful that close family members and friends don't know they binge eat.
Eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan that is adjusted to meet the needs of each patient. The goal of treatment for binge eating disorder is to help the person gain control over his or her eating behavior. Treatment most often involves a combination of the following strategies:
Psychotherapy: This is a type of individual counseling that focuses on changing the thinking (cognitive therapy) and behavior (behavioral therapy) of a person with an eating disorder. Treatment includes practical techniques for developing healthy attitudes toward food and weight, as well as approaches for changing the way the person responds to difficult situations.
Medication: Certain antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) might be used to help control anxiety and depression associated with an eating disorder.
Nutrition counseling: This strategy is designed to help restore normal eating patterns, and to teach the importance of nutrition and a balanced diet.
Group and/or family therapy: Family support is very important to treatment success. It is important that family members understand the eating disorder and recognize its signs and symptoms. People with eating disorders might benefit from group therapy, where they can find support, and openly discuss their feelings and concerns with others who share common experiences and problems.
What Are the Complications of Binge Eating Disorder?
The poor eating habits that are common in people with binge eating disorder can lead to serious health problems. The major complications of binge eating disorder are the conditions that often result from being obese. These include:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Gallbladder disease
Heart disease
Shortness of breath
Certain types of cancer
Menstrual problems
Decreased mobility (inability to move around) and tiredness
Sleep problems
In addition, people with binge eating disorder are extremely distressed by their binge eating. In some cases, people will neglect their jobs, school or social activities to binge eat.
What Is the Outlook for People With Binge Eating Disorder?
Like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder is a serious problem that can be solved with proper treatment. With treatment and commitment, many people with this disorder can overcome the habit of overeating and learn healthy eating patterns.
Can Binge Eating Disorder Be Prevented?
Although it might not be possible to prevent all cases of binge eating disorder, it is helpful to begin treatment in people as soon as they begin to have symptoms. In addition, teaching and encouraging healthy eating habits and realistic attitudes about food and body image also might be helpful in preventing the development or worsening of eating disorders.
It's important for me to post this because even post-op we can be binge eaters... It's just less food, but the disorder remains the same....
__________________
~~Robin~~
~~Dr. C was impressed by me!~~
315/167/168 ..... -106 inches, From a size 32 to a size 10. AT GOAL! Below goal after TT! :P 148 pounds no longer linger on my ass!
October, 24 2005
Sometimes I feel like all I am doing is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic 
And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. -Abraham Lincoln
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