Topic Overview
What is binge eating disorder?
Binge eating means
eating large amounts of food in a short time. A person with binge eating
disorder binges regularly for several months. When you binge, you feel like you
can't control your eating, and you feel unhappy about it afterward.
Binge eating disorder is not the same thing as
bulimia. Unlike bulimia, if you have binge eating
disorder, you don't vomit or try other ways to get rid of calories. But you
might try to limit how much food you eat between binges. Binge eating disorder
is sometimes called compulsive overeating.
Some people who binge
have a normal weight. But over time, many people who have binge eating disorder
gain weight and have problems from being
obese. People with binge eating disorder also often
have
depression,
anxiety, or other emotional problems.
Having an
eating disorder isn't a sign of weakness or a
character flaw. And it is not something you can overcome with just willpower.
Many people struggle with eating disorders for a long time. Some people try to
keep it a secret or deny that they have a problem. In most cases, you will need
treatment to get better. If you have binge eating disorder, treatment can
prevent health problems, help you feel better about yourself, and improve the
quality of your life.
What causes binge eating disorder?
Experts are
not sure what causes binge eating disorder, but it seems to run in families.
Cultural attitudes about body shape and weight might also play a
role. Anxiety, depression, or
stress can cause some people to binge.
What are the symptoms?
From time to time, most of
us feel like we have eaten more than we should. But eating too much every now
and then does not mean that you have binge eating disorder. If you have binge
eating disorder, you may:
- Eat way too much in a short period of time
(less than 2 hours) on a regular basis.
- Eat when you are not
hungry, to ease stress or to comfort yourself.
- Eat for emotional
reasons, such as being sad, angry, lonely, or bored.
- Feel like you
can't stop eating.
- Eat faster than normal when you
binge.
- Eat so much that you feel painfully full.
- Feel
unhappy, upset, guilty, or depressed after you binge.
- Eat alone
because you are embarrassed about how much you eat.
Even if you don't have all the symptoms of binge eating
disorder, having even a few symptoms can be a sign of a problem that needs
treatment. It is important to get help right away if you or someone you know
has any of these symptoms.
How is binge eating disorder diagnosed?
A doctor
can find out if you have binge eating disorder by doing a physical exam and
asking questions about your eating habits and past health. Your doctor may also
ask questions about your mental health and how you feel about food and the
shape of your body.
How is it treated?
Treatment for binge eating
disorder includes getting
counseling and, in some cases, taking medicine. Your doctor may have you do both. You may need treatment for a
long time to fully recover. You also may need treatment for other problems that
often occur with binge eating disorder. These can include depression, obesity,
or problems with being overweight.
Who gets binge eating disorder?
Binge eating
disorder most often starts in the late teens or the young-adult years. It is
more common in women than men.
Binge eating disorder can be triggered by
dieting, depression, or anxiety. It can even start because of boredom or
stress, which is then relieved by binging. Your risk for binge eating increases
if:
- You or your parents are overweight.
- You are a perfectionist. This means that you feel like you have to
do everything exactly right all the time.
- You have a poor body
image, which means that you don't like the way your body looks.
- You live in a culture that values being thin.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Learning about binge eating disorder:
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Being diagnosed:
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Getting treatment:
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Symptoms
If you have
binge eating disorder, you:
- Eat an extremely large amount of food within a
2-hour period (a binge) at least 2 times a week on average for at least 6
months.
- Feel unable to control how much you eat during a
binge.
- Feel very unhappy about binging.
If you have binge eating disorder, you also have three (or
more) of the following symptoms:
- You eat more quickly than normal during a
binge.
- You eat until you are painfully full.
- You binge
when you are not hungry, to reduce stress or to comfort
yourself.
- You eat alone because you are embarrassed about how much
food you eat.
- You feel upset, guilty, or depressed after a
binge.
Common personality traits found in those who have binge
eating disorder and other
eating disorders include low self-esteem and excessive concern about body
size and shape.
Binge eating disorder is different from
bulimia, because people with binge eating disorder do
not regularly vomit or use other ways to get rid of calories. For more
information on bulimia, which also is called "binge-purge disorder," see the
topic
Bulimia Nervosa.
Some people eat very
little during the day but eat very large amounts of food in the evening and at
night. This is called
night eating syndrome.
Many people who
have an eating disorder also struggle with depression or
anxiety disorders. It can be difficult to treat binge
eating disorder if these other conditions are not also treated.
Frequent binge eating can cause you to gain a large amount of weight, even
though you might try to restrict your food intake between binges. People with
binge eating disorder often try to follow strict diets. But dieting does not
stop the binging for the long term and might actually make the problem worse.
You might feel so discouraged at times that you stop trying to
control your eating disorder altogether. One binge might merge into the next,
with no period of normal eating in between.
Although you might not
have all of the symptoms of binge eating disorder, even a few symptoms can be a
sign of a problem that needs treatment. If you have any of these symptoms, or
someone you know does, talk to a doctor, friend, or family member
about your concerns right away.
Exams and Tests
Doctors diagnose
binge eating disorder by doing a
physical exam and asking questions about your
medical history and eating habits. Your doctor also
might do a
mental health assessment, which is an evaluation of
your emotions and how well you think, reason, and remember.
Binge eating disorder often is associated with being overweight. Your doctor
might use a tool called the
body mass index (BMI) to look at how much you weigh
compared with your height.
Treatment Overview
Treatment for
binge eating disorder includes counseling and
sometimes medicine. Goals in treating binge eating often include:
Most people with binge eating disorder need treatment, but
many people who have an
eating disorder try to keep it secret or deny that
they have a problem. Some might join weight management programs to lose weight
but do not seek treatment for binging or for mental health problems related to
the condition. It often is a family member or friend who convinces the person
to seek treatment.
If you think that you or someone you know
might have an eating disorder, talk to your doctor. Signs of an eating disorder
that needs treatment include binges, concern or embarrassment about eating
behaviors, secretive eating habits, preoccupation with weight or body image, or
an unhealthy body weight because of eating problems.
Counseling
Several types of
counseling can be useful in treating eating disorders.
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
. This type of therapy can help you control the urge to binge,
especially when combined with nutritional counseling and a weight-reduction
program.1 CBT often deals with learning how to eat a
balanced diet, because this is important to recovery. Forming more regular
eating habits can help reduce binging.
-
Interpersonal therapy
. This type of therapy can help you
examine any connection between your relationships and your symptoms of binge
eating.
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Dialectical behavior therapy
.
This approach focuses on helping you manage emotions. By coping better with
life's challenges and your emotions, the binging behaviors may decrease. This
type of therapy helps reduce binging that is related to
stress.
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Group counseling. This can be used
to enhance individual therapy. Speaking with other people who have this
condition often can be helpful.
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Family therapy
. Sometimes family members unknowingly
interfere with a loved one's recovery. Family therapy can help family members
learn about the disorder, get support, and eventually focus on dealing with
other family issues. Family therapy often is used as a part of treatment for
teenagers who have binge eating disorder. This type of therapy can help reduce
binging that is triggered by stress, tension, or relationship problems.
Medicine
Antidepressants sometimes are used in the treatment of
binge eating disorder. They may reduce episodes of binge
eating and they may help with related
depression or
anxiety.
Topiramate (Topamax), which is a
medicine used to treat seizures and chronic pain, is sometimes used to reduce the urge to binge.
What to think about
Medicines and counseling may help
you quit binging and lose excess weight. But this will take some time and
patience. Some people find that they still have trouble losing excess weight,
even after they stop binging. Talk to your doctor about what results are
realistic to expect from treatment.
Unfortunately, many people don't seek treatment for mental health
problems. You may not seek treatment because you think the symptoms are not bad
enough or that you can work things out on your own. But getting treatment is
important.
If you need help deciding whether to see your doctor,
read about some reasons why people don't get help and how to
overcome them.
Home Treatment
Continuing healthy habits at home can
improve
binge eating disorder.
It is helpful when family members are
supportive of their loved one who has binge eating
disorder. Learning about the disorder will be useful for the entire family.
In many cases, eating disorders are associated with poor body
image and low self-esteem. Parents can help reduce the chances that their
children will develop an
eating disorder by teaching them to have:
For more information, see the topic
Healthy Eating for Children.
Other treatment
Other treatments can help reduce binge eating.
Self-care programs.
These are organized programs that provide self-help materials such as manuals
or computer-based activities that can be useful in treating eating disorders.
But most people who have an eating disorder also need counseling and possibly
medicine.
Stress management techniques.
Many people report that their binging episodes are triggered by feelings of
anxiety or tension. Although not part of the treatment
of binge eating disorder, relieving stress can help during recovery and can
improve quality of life. Techniques to reduce stress include:
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Exercising. Regular
physical activity is one of the most effective stress-management
techniques.
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Writing. Research shows that
expressing yourself in writing can be a very effective way to reduce your
stress level.
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Expressing your feelings.
Talking, laughing, crying, and expressing anger are normal parts of the
emotional healing process.
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Doing something you enjoy. A hobby or other healthy leisure activity that is meaningful to
you can help you relax. Volunteer work or work that helps others can be a
powerful stress-buster.
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Body-centered relaxation. This includes
breathing exercises,
muscle relaxation exercises,
massage,
aromatherapy,
yoga, and traditional Chinese relaxation exercises
such as
tai chi and qi gong.
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Mindfulness activities. These include learning how to relax your body through
self-hypnosis,
meditation, or
imagery exercises or
listening to relaxing music or using
humor to reduce stress.
For more information on stress reduction, see the topic
Stress Management.
Other Places To Get Help
Organizations
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KidsHealth for Parents, Children, and
Teens
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Nemours Home Office
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| 10140 Centurion Parkway |
| Jacksonville, FL 32256 |
| Phone: |
(904) 697-4100 |
| Web Address: |
www.kidshealth.org |
| |
|
This website is sponsored by the Nemours Foundation. It
has a wide range of information about children's health—from allergies and
diseases to normal growth and development (birth to adolescence). This website
offers separate areas for kids, teens, and parents, each providing
age-appropriate information that the child or parent can understand. You can
sign up to get weekly emails about your area of interest.
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Mental Health America
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| 2000 North Beauregard Street, 6th Floor |
| Alexandria, VA 22311 |
| Phone: |
1-800-969-NMHA (1-800-969-6642) referral service for help with depression
(703) 684-7722 |
| Fax: |
(703) 684-5968 |
| Web Address: |
www.mentalhealthamerica.net |
| |
|
Mental Health America (formerly known as the National
Mental Health Association) is a nonprofit agency devoted to helping people of
all ages live mentally healthier lives. Its website has information about
mental health conditions. It also addresses issues such as grief, stress,
bullying, and more. It includes a confidential depression screening test for
anyone who would like to take it. The short test may help you decide whether
your symptoms are related to depression.
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National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated
Disorders (ANAD)
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| P.O. Box 640 |
| Naperville, IL 60566 |
| Phone: |
(630) 577-1330 (helpline) |
| Email: |
anadhelp@anad.org
www.anad.org/ |
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This association distributes listings of therapists and
hospitals that work with people who have eating disorders. It sends out
materials and also offers support groups, conferences, and a crisis
hotline.
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National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA)
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| 603 Stewart Street |
| Suite 803 |
| Seattle, WA 98101 |
| Phone: |
1-800-931-2237
(206) 382-3587 |
| Email: |
info@NationalEatingDisorders.org |
| Web Address: |
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org |
| |
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The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is a large
nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the prevention of
eating disorders. NEDA helps educate people with eating disorders and their
families about their conditions and also provides information for health
professionals. The organization's Web site will help you locate treatment
referrals for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and issues surrounding
body image and weight.
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National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH)
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| 6001 Executive Boulevard |
| Bethesda, MD 20892-9663 |
| Phone: |
1-866-615-6464 toll-free |
| Phone: |
(301) 443-4513 |
| Fax: |
(301) 443-4279 |
| Web Address: |
www.nimh.nih.gov |
| |
|
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides
information to help people better understand mental health, mental disorders,
and behavioral problems. NIMH does not provide referrals to mental health
professionals or treatment for mental health problems.
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Weight-Control Information Network
(WIN)
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| 1 WIN Way |
| Bethesda, MD 20892-3665 |
| Phone: |
1-877-946-4627 toll-free |
| Fax: |
(202) 828-1028 |
| Email: |
win@info.niddk.nih.gov |
| Web Address: |
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm |
| |
|
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a
service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. WIN supplies information
on weight control, obesity, and nutritional disorders for the public and for
health professionals.
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References
Citations
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Agras WS (2008). The eating disorders. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 13, chap. 9. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
Other Works Consulted
- Agras WS (2008). The eating disorders. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 13, chap. 9. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
- American Psychiatric Association (2000). Binge-eating disorder. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text rev., pp. 785–787. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
- Anderson AE, Yager J (2009). Eating disorders. In BJ Sadock et al., eds., Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 9th ed., vol. 1, pp. 2128–2149. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
- Gwirtsman HE, et al., (2008). Eating disorders. In MH Ebert et al., eds., Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychiatry, 2nd ed., pp. 456–469. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Hay PPJ, et al. (2009). Psychological treatments for bulimia nervosa and binging. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4).
-
National Eating Disorders Association (2005). Binge eating disorder. Available online: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/BingeED.pdf.
-
National Eating Disorders Association (2005). What is an eating disorder? Some basic facts. Available online: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/WhatIsEd.pdf.
- Palmer CA, Boyd LD (2009). Eating disorders section of Nutrition, diet, and associated oral conditions. In NO Harris et al., eds., Primary Preventative Dentistry, 7th ed., pp. 305–314. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
- Sadock BJ, Sadock VA (2010). Eating disorders. In Kaplan and Sadock's Pocket Handbook of Clinical Psychiatry, 5th ed., pp. 259–268. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
- Sigel EJ (2011). Eating disorders. In WW Hay et al., eds., Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Pediatrics, 20th ed., pp. 159–170. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Steering Committee on Practice Guidelines, American Psychiatric Association (2006). Treating Eating Disorders: A Quick Reference Guide. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
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Yager J, et al. (2006). Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Eating Disorders, 3rd ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association. Also available online: http://www.psychiatryonline.com/pracGuide/PracticePDFs/EatingDisorders3ePG_04-28-06.pdf.
Credits
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By
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Healthwise Staff |
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Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
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Specialist Medical Reviewer
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W. Stewart Agras, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry |
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Last Revised
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August 25, 2011 |