Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Individuals with binge eating disorders eat excessive amounts of food at one time. They do this for two reasons:

· They are very hungry because they have been dieting or restricting their eating in some way. The binge is a response to that hunger.

· They over-eat to comfort themselves, to avoid uncomfortable situations, or to numb their feelings. The binge is an attempt to soothe themselves emotionally.

People who binge-eat are often ashamed and embarrassed. They also tend to be genetically heavier and larger than the "average" person. They do not, however, generally try to compensate for their over-eating by vomiting, fasting, over-exercising or abusing laxatives as people with anorexia or bulimia may do.

Symptoms of binge eating disorder include:

· Eating large amounts of food frequently and in one sitting.
· Feeling out of control and unable to stop eating.
· Eating quickly and in secret.
· Feeling uncomfortably full after eating.
· Feeling guilty and ashamed of their binges.

In addition, people who binge eat may have a history of diet failures, and may also be obese. About one in five obese people engage in binge eating.

Treatment for binge eating disorder often requires less time than is needed to recover from anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa. Individuals usually respond well to one-on-one and group therapy. Medications for depression and anxiety have shown to be helpful in some cases.

If you think you may have Binge Eating Disorder, call our office to find out more about services available in the Ottawa Community.

Source: Sheena's Place