|
About
Diets
Do
you need to diet?
Metabolism
Binge Eating Disorder
Popular "Fad" Diets
Atkins Diet
Mayo Clinic Diet
Zone Diet
Cabbage Soup Diet
Grapefruit Diet
Very Low Calorie Diets
Fit for Life Diet
Sugar Busters Diet
Binge
Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder has only recently become defined as a
health condition, and it affects millions of Americans. Binge
Eating Disorder is characterized by frequently eating very
large amounts of food, while feeling a loss of control over
the eating. Binge Eating Disorder is different from bulimia
nervosa (binge-purge) in that binge eaters do not purge the
food through vomiting or laxative use.
Experts believe that Binge Eating Disorder is likely the most
common eating disorder, affecting approximately 2% of
Americans. The majority of people suffering from Binge Eating
Disorder are obese, and more women suffer than do men. A high
percentage of people with Binge Eating Disorder were obese in
childhood.
Although most of us eat too much occasionally and often eat
bigger quantities of food than we should, this is not
considered binge eating.
Symptoms of binge eating
disorder include:
-
Frequent episodes of eating what
most would consider an abnormally large quantity of food.
-
Feelings of a loss of control
over how much food is being consumed
-
Eating much faster than normal
-
Eating so much that the body
feels uncomfortably full
-
Eating large amounts of food
when not hungry
-
Eating alone due to
embarrassment about the amount of food eaten
-
Feelings of guilt or depression
after overeating
The causes of Binge Eating
Disorder are unclear and are hotly debated by
professionals. Suggestions include depression, the improper
functioning of some brain chemicals, psychological problems
and metabolic problems.
Binge Eating Disorder can lead to very serious health
problems, particularly those
associated with obesity. These include diabetes, high blood
pressure, high
cholesterol levels, heart disease and some cancers.
Treatment
For the most part, Binge Eating
Disorder is not treated through dieting. Most binge eaters
have problems sticking to diets and have a tendency to regain
lost weight. Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder usually
involves behavioral therapy that seeks to address changes in
eating habits, as well as psychotherapy that examines
relationships to family, friends and how binge eating relates
to these relationships.
Binge eaters should discuss their eating habits with a doctor.
Proper treatment is
essential to avoid the many pitfalls associated with yo-yo
dieting and potentially
negative psychological effects that weight gain can have.
The Mayo Clinic's Health Living
Centers provides excellent advice and research about
diet and nutrition. Excellent resources about
diets and
nutrition are offered by the Nutrition.gov website. |
