Binge eating disorder, also known as compulsive overeating, is an addiction to food. This addiction causes the binge eater to eat a massive amount of food in a short period of time, and often to consume thousands of calories. These overeating episodes usually leave the person feeling out of control, ashamed, guilty and uncomfortably full.
Causes
There is no known cause for binge eating disorder. Some factors do seem to play an important role in the development of binge eating disorder. Depression is one of the most well known causes of binge eating. Other causes of binge eating may be genetics, stress, emotions and dieting. Not eating enough throughout the day may also lead to binge eating.
Symptoms
Binge eaters can let food take over their lives. They may miss work, school and social outings in order to stay home and eat. They may begin to see food as a friend and may even refer to it that way. Other recognizable symptoms of binge eating are hiding food, eating secretly, insomnia, sweating profusely, shortness of breath, weight gain, mobility problems, depression, mood swings and impulsive behavior.
Complications of Binge Eating
The majority of binge eaters are overweight or obese. The obesity can lead to health problems. These can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and gallbladder disease. Psychological problems are also common in binge eaters. Depression and other emotional problems can lead to thoughts of suicide.
Psychological Treatment
Recovering from binge eating disorder usually starts with some form of counseling. The binge eating is often triggered by unresolved emotions from the past. Resolving these issues is a step forward in recovering from the depression and the emotional problems that may have started or contributed to the compulsive overeating.
Nutritional Treatment
Another part of controlling binge eating is learning how much and what to eat in order to be healthy. This may include consulting a nutritionist to set up a weight loss plan that includes proper portioning. Learning the right way to control your weight is a crucial step in the recovery process.
Medical Treatment
Recovery will also need to include getting treatment for any medical issues that were caused by the binge eating. Eating right and losing weight may eventually take care of most of the medical problems. Until then your doctor may want to treat the conditions with medication. As you get healthier, the medications may be decreased or even stopped.
Tags: binge eating, binge eating, causes binge, eating disorder, binge eaters