About

WHAT IS BINGE EATING DISORDER?

Almost everyone overeats on occasion, such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal. But for some people, excessive, regular overeating that feels out of control crosses the line.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a severe, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating. It is the most common eating disorder in the United States.

When you have binge-eating disorder, you may be embarrassed about overeating and try to stop. But you feel such a compulsion that you can't resist the urges and continue binge eating.

SYMPTOMS

Most people with binge-eating disorder are overweight or obese, Behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:

Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over a two-hour period
Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control
Eating even when you're full or not hungry
Eating rapidly during binge episodes
Eating until you're uncomfortably full
Frequently eating alone or in secret
Feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty or upset about your eating
Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss

The severity of binge-eating disorder is determined by how often episodes of binging occur during a week.

SOURCES USED ON THIS PAGE:

Binge eating disorder. (2018, August 28). womenshealth.gov. https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder

Binge eating disorder. (2020, April 15). HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder.htm

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse