What is Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is a mental health difficulty that can severely impact on a person’s health, well-being and their entire life.

You may suffer from Binge Eating Disorder if you …

eat heaps of food all the time
are worried about your food intake
feel you have to hide the amount of food you eat

We all overeat from time to time–taking an extra helping at Christmas dinner or having dessert when you’re already full. But for binge eaters, overeating is regular and uncontrollable. You use food to cope with stress and other negative emotins, even though afterwards you feel even worse. You may feel like you’re stuck in a vicious cycle, but binge eating disorder is treatable. With the right help and support, you can learn to control your eating and develop a healthy relationship with food.

Binge Eating Disorder

What is Binge Eating?

Binge eating disorder is characterized by compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop. The symptoms of binge eating disorder usually begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet.

A binge eating episode typically lasts around two hours, but some people binge on and off all day long. Binge eaters often eat even when they’re not hungry and continue eating long after they’re full. They may also gorge themselves as fast as they can while barely registering what they’re eating or tasting.

The key features of Binge Eating Disorder are:

Frequent episodes of uncontrollable binge eating.
Feeling extremely distressed or upset during or after bingeing.
Unlike bulimia, there are no regular attempts to “make up” for the Characteristics of Binge Eating Disorder.

Some of the characteristics of Binge Eating include:

feeling that your eating is out of control
eating what most people would consider to be a large or excess amount of food on a regular basis
eating to the point of feeling uncomfortable
eating large amounts of food, even when you are not really hungry
being secretive about what is eaten and when
being embarrassed by the amount of food eaten
feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty about overeating.

If you think you do one or a number of these things, you should seriously consider seeking professional help.

People with binge eating disorder struggle with feelings of guilt, disgust, and depression. They worry about what the compulsive eating will do to their bodies and beat themselves up for their lack of self-control. They desperately want to stop binge eating, but feel like they can’t.

“People who overeat compulsively may struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge eating. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.”
– National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

Causes of Binge Eating

A number of factors can put you at risk of developing binge eating, and these factors canoften affect one another. These include…

Feeling alone or isolated from other people
Participation in very competitive sports or dance
Stressful life events
Feeling bad about yourself (negative self evaluation)
Low self esteem
A family history of eating disorders

Dieting is also a common risk factor for all eating disorders. Many people with binge-eating disorder have a history of dieting. Dieting may trigger an urge to binge eat, especially if you have low self-esteem or are feeling depressed.

The Binge Eating cycle

Binge eating may be comforting for a brief moment, but then reality sets back in, along with regret and self-loathing. Binge eating often leads to weight gain and obesity, which only reinforces compulsive eating. The worse a binge eater feels about themself and their appearance, the more they use food to cope. It becomes a vicious cycle: eating to feel better, feeling even worse, and then turning back to food for relief.

Signs and symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

People with Binge Eating Disorder are embarrassed and ashamed of their eating habits, so they often try to hide their symptoms and eat in secret. Many binge eaters are overweight or obese, but some are of normal weight.

Behavioral symptoms of Binge Eating and compulsive overeating

Inability to stop eating or control what you’re eating
Rapidly eating large amounts of food
Eating even when you’re full
Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret
Eating normally around others, but gorging when you’re alone
Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtimes

Emotional symptoms of Binge Eating and compulsive overeating

Feeling stress or tension that is only relieved by eating
Embarrassment over how much you’re eating
Feeling numb while bingeing—like you’re not really there or you’re on auto-pilot.
Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat
Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating
Desperation to control weight and eating habits

Signs of Binge Eating Disorder

Ask yourself the following questions. The more “yes” answers, the more likely it is that you have binge eating disorder.

Do you feel out of control when you’re eating?
Do you think about food all the time?
Do you eat in secret?
Do you eat until you feel sick?
Do you eat to escape from worries, relieve stress, or to comfort yourself?
Do you feel disgusted or ashamed after eating?
Do you feel powerless to stop eating, even though you want to?

Effects of Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating leads to a wide variety of physical, emotional, and social problems. People with binge eating disorder report more health issues, stress, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are common side effects as well. But the most prominent effect of binge eating disorder is weight gain.

Obesity and Binge Eating

Over time, compulsive overeating usually leads to obesity. Obesity, in turn, causes numerous medical complications, including:

Type 2 diabetes
Gallbladder disease
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Certain types of cancer
Osteoarthritis
Joint and muscle pain
Gastrointestinal problems
Sleep apnea

10 strategies for overcoming Binge Eating

Manage stress. One of the most important aspects of controlling binge eating is to find alternate ways to handle stress and other overwhelming feelings without using food. These may include exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises.
Eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks. Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism in the morning. Follow breakfast with a balanced lunch and dinner, and healthy snacks in between. Stick to scheduled mealtimes, as skipping meals often leads to binge eating later in the day.
Avoid temptation. You’re much more likely to overeat if you have junk food, desserts, and unhealthy snacks in the house. Remove the temptation by clearing your fridge and cupboards of your favorite binge foods.
Stop dieting. The deprivation and hunger of strict dieting can trigger food cravings and the urge to overeat. Instead of dieting, focus on eating in moderation. Find nutritious foods that you enjoy and eat only until you feel content, not uncomfortably stuffed. Avoid banning certain foods as this can make you crave them even more.
Exercise. Not only will exercise help you lose weight in a healthy way, but it also lifts depression, improves overall health, and reduces stress. The natural mood-boosting effects of exercise can help put a stop to emotional eating.
Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you’re bored, distract yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, read, or take up a hobby such as painting or gardening.
Get enough sleep. If you’re tired, you may want to keep eating in order to boost your energy. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead.
Listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. If you ate recently and don’t have a rumbling stomach, you’re probably not really hungry. Give the craving time to pass.
Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, when, how much, and how you’re feeling when you eat. You may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between your moods and binge eating.
Get support. You’re more likely to succumb to binge eating triggers if you lack a solid support network. Talking helps, even if it’s not with a professional. Lean on family and friends, join a support group, and if possible consult a therapist.

Therapy for Binge Eating Disorder

The best therapy for Binge Eating Disorder is to address the key underlying causes which mostly tend to relate to low self esteem and/or self/worth as well as a variety of suppressed emotions and/or limiting beliefs.

I use advanced hypnotherapy techniques to provide fast and effective relief from Binge Eating Disorder.

With my 100% Money Back guarantee you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You have seven days after your therapy to get your money back if you are not completely satisfied.

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