What is binge eating disorder?
Binge eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder and serious mental health condition that affects the way a person eats. Someone with BED will regularly eat large portions of food, usually very quickly. They may hide their binges, eating in private so no one knows they’re doing it. The binges themselves may be planned or spontaneous.
Someone with binge eating disorder may feel that they have no control over what they eat during a binge. After a binge, they feel a sense of guilt and shame around what they’ve done and may try to compensate between binges by restricting what they eat.
Unlike those with bulimia, people who binge eat don’t purge the food after eating.
Although people often call it binge eating when they eat a lot in one go, binge eating disorder (BED) is when this happens frequently with large quantities of food.
- Nutritionist K. Neve, 5 reasons why you are overeating
Binge eating disorder symptoms
Binge eating disorder can affect people in different ways, and some signs may be easier to spot than others. If you suspect someone might have binge eating disorder, you may notice that:
- their behaviour or mood has changed;
- they eat a lot of food very quickly;
- they try to hide how much they are eating or store up supplies of food;
- their weight has changed (although this does not happen to everyone with BED).
If you think you might have the condition, you may notice that you:
- hide the way you eat when you binge;
- eat very quickly and feel out of control;
- feel ashamed and guilty after a binge;
- eat even when you aren't hungry.
Binge eating disorder can also affect your physical health and nutritional wellbeing.
What causes binge eating disorder?
The exact causes of binge eating disorder aren't known. However, you may be more likely to have an eating disorder if:
- there is a history of eating disorders, depression, alcohol or drug misuse in your family;
- you have anxiety, low self-esteem, are a perfectionist, or have an obsessive personality;
- you have experienced a stressful or traumatic event;
- you're worried about your body shape or weight, including feeling pressure to be slim.
Difficult or overwhelming feelings can also contribute towards binges. This can include feeling low, angry, anxious, upset, bored, or lonely. Feelings of hunger and deprivation may also contribute to binge eating, such as when you restrict food or follow strict rules around eating.
Effects of binge eating disorder
Mentally, binge eating disorder can be incredibly difficult to live with. There is often a lot of negative self-talk, guilt and shame, all of which can perpetuate the binge eating cycle. Someone with binge eating disorder may then blame themselves for their inability to break the cycle, which can lower self-esteem and self-confidence, making them feel worthless. These destructive feelings can then lead to depression, stress and anxiety.
Physically, binge eating disorder can also be detrimental. With the cycle of restriction and bingeing, you may not be getting enough vitamins and nutrients to feel well.
Binge eating disorder treatment
Recovery from binge eating disorder is possible, and there are treatments available to help. With the right treatment and support, you can work towards developing a healthier relationship with food and managing binge eating.
Some people with binge eating disorder find it difficult to seek help. They may think that they don't need help, or may feel ashamed of what they’re doing. If you have binge eating disorder, you may feel like the cycle is impossible to break out of. The important thing to remember is that it isn’t. Speaking with your GP is often the first step.
Typically, the NHS recommends:
Guided self-help
A guided self-help programme is often offered first, in the form of a book or online guide, combined with sessions with a counsellor, therapist, or other healthcare professional. Some people find joining a self-help support group can also be beneficial.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
If guided self-help alone hasn't helped or isn't helpful, you might be recommended CBT. CBT-BED is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy specifically adapted for people with binge eating disorder.
CBT-BED involves talking to an expert about ways of dealing with situations by changing the way you think or associate emotions with food. A therapist can also help you plan out meals and snacks to help adopt regular eating habits, work out triggers for your binge eating, help with ways to stick to new eating habits, and support you in changing and managing negative feelings about your body.
Medicine
Medicine may be offered as part of a combination with therapy or self-help treatment to help manage other related conditions such as anxiety, depression, social phobia, or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Antidepressants shouldn't be offered as the only treatment for binge eating disorder.
Alongside recommended treatment, working with a nutrition professional who has experience supporting people with eating disorders may also be beneficial. They can offer personalised nutrition support, helping you work towards regular eating patterns, understand your nutritional needs and develop a healthier relationship with food as part of your wider recovery.
How can a nutrition professional help with a binge eating disorder?
Consulting a nutrition professional can help you address any nutritional imbalances you may be experiencing because of binge eating disorder. A nutrition professional with appropriate experience can help assess your nutritional needs and support regular, balanced eating as part of your wider recovery plan.
They can work with you to create a meal plan that complements your recovery plan, supporting regular eating and helping you work towards a healthier relationship with food. The focus in recovery should be on regaining health and moving away from disordered behaviours, not on changing your weight.
Imagine your fully recovered self and what that means, and what else you can experience in life without periods of bingeing and/or compensating.
- Nutritionist Shannon Western, Want to stop binge eating?
If you're looking for nutrition support as part of your recovery, you can find a nutrition professional with experience supporting people with eating disorders.
