5 Things to Know About Binge Eating Disorder

Imagine you finally have time to yourself, alone. You can feel the urge to go to the kitchen to explore what snack options are available. You grab one of the snack bags out of the cabinet. As soon as you start eating, there is a peace and relief that is felt. Suddenly, you realize you ate more than expected, multiple bags are gone. You feel completely out of control and guilty for eating that amount of food. The worst part is that you do not remember the experience or even what the food tasted like after the first bite. It feels overwhelming. You start to question if you may be addicted to food since this pattern repeats. You begin to dread experiencing this again, but feel like you cannot stop the cravings or urge to binge again. This short story is one example of a binge experience. Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder, but not very well understood.

Here are 5 facts about binge eating disorder: 

1.     Binge eating occurs in a cycle.

The binge cycle can feel like de ja vu. One part of the cycle is limiting foods or skipping meals in the day. This action increases your thoughts and awareness around foods and increases your feelings of hunger. Finally, you listen to the cravings and eat the foods which were limited, leading to a binge and feeling out of control. The feelings of guilt and failing hit after the binge experience. The result is the desire to cut back on foods again and start the cycle.

2.     The experience of binging can be a strain for the mind and body.

The binge typically happens hidden from others and kept a secret. The food is eaten at a fast pace and the individual is not able to stop eating. The feelings of hunger and fullness are hard to define before and during a binge. The portion of food to be considered a binge needs to be more than expected for an average adult to eat in a similar setting. After the experience, the individual will feel too full and maybe have a stomachache. Side effects of binge eating can be acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, and bloating. The individual will be challenged with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment and depression.

3.     The solution is not simply willpower.

Research has shown there are genetic factors to binge eating disorder. Often, diets will be suggested as a treatment which can increase the number of binging times. Continual dieting can increase the risk of binge eating with cutting back food types and amounts. The binge behavior becomes a way to cope with stressors of life. To find other ways to cope with these stressors, the individual can benefit from working with a therapist and dietitian.

4.     There is no offsetting the amount of food from the binge episodes.

Binge eating disorders do not include a way to make up for the calories eaten by exercise, medicine, throwing up, etc. Bulimia is another eating disorder type which includes the factor of making sure the calories eaten are offset by other activities.

5.     Binge eating disorder affect different body types and both genders.

Against stereotypes around eating disorders, almost half of the cases of binge eating disorder are males. There is an association at times with people with larger bodies struggling with binge eating disorder but individuals with various body types struggle with binging behavior. Body size and weight are not considered for assessing binge eating disorder.  

What can you do if you struggle with binging episodes?

The first place to start is considering any ways you are currently restricting food.

·      Are you skipping meals?

·      Are there foods you are not allowed to eat?

·      Are your portions reduced from your normal portions?

Next, consider your hunger through the day.

·      Do you feel full after meals?

·      Do you eat when you feel hungry/ know when you are hungry?

Consider areas of the day that you may be ignoring hunger or limiting foods. Add meals back that you started to skip and increase portions as needed to feel satisfied in the day.

Thirdly, start to check in with your emotions through the day. This could be with an app or a journal. Start to take notice of your levels of emotions through the day. Consider ways to increase self-care and provide compassion to yourself.

These are three simple steps you can start to take to assess your binge eating behavior and take steps to change it. If you are struggling with binge episodes, it can be helpful to seek counseling from a therapist. About half of the time, individuals will be working through other mental health disorders in addition to binge eating disorder. You can also benefit from working with a registered dietitian and primary care physician. Both professionals can help address any physical side effects of the binge episodes. As a counselor, registered dietitian, and certified intuitive eating counselor, we can work together to decrease the amount of binges and increase your trust in your body. By understanding what you want to move towards with your values, you can decrease this behavior and learn how to cope with emotions. You can start to see food and body image as neutral or even positive topics.

The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues besides disordered eating, including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.