Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder which is characterized by episodes of binge eating; binge eating refers to a feeling of being out of control and consuming an amount of food that is larger than a normal portion of food which most people would eat during a similar period of time. For example, someone with binge eating disorder may consume several entire pizzas within an hour, which is a much larger portion than most people would eat during that same period of time.

Binge eating disorder is considered to be the most common eating disorder in the United States. It is estimated to affect 3.5% of females in the United States, 2% of males of the United States and around 30% of individuals who seek weight loss treatment in the United States. Technically, binge eating disorder is not yet classified as its own separate eating disorder like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, although current revisions for the upcoming DSM-V have indicated that binge eating disorder will be separated from the more general category of eating disorders not-otherwise-specified.

Diagnosing binge eating disorder may vary from physician to physician due to the fact that binge eating disorder is not yet classified as a separate eating disorder. However, general criteria for the diagnosis of binge eating disorder includes: eating an amount of food which is noticeably larger than what most people would eat during a specific or similar time frame; a feeling of losing control before eating and while eating; eating quickly or unusually fast during binging episodes; eating an unusually large amount of food when feeling depressed, angry or emotional; eating alone or hiding binge eating from family members or friends. It is important to note that binge eating disorder does not involving purging behavior, such as those found in the binge/purge subtype of anorexia nervosa and in bulimia nervosa. Someone with binge eating disorder will have binge episodes but they will not purge their food through self-induced vomiting or other methods—although they may attempt to do so or feel that they should purge the food that they have eaten.

Binge eating disorder is considered, along with anorexia nervosa, to be an eating disorder with potentially fatal consequences. Binge eating disorder often leads to negative consequence such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, excessive weight gain and high blood pressure; many people with binge eating disorder are overweight or obese, although weight gain and weight are not part of the criteria for the disorder. One of the biggest hurdles that people with binge eating disorder face is the shame against binge eating and—if they are also overweight or obese—of people who are overweight in the media and popular culture. The National Eating Disorder Research Foundation has found that many people with binge eating disorder are ashamed to ask for help with their disorder because of the guilt, shame and embarrassment associated with overeating, obesity and binge eating. Treatment for binge eating disorder generally consists of cognitive behavioral therapy along with a focus on reeducation patients on healthy eating patterns and ways of dealing with emotions without using food.