Binge Eating Disorders

Although bulimia and anorexia are the most widely known eating disorders, it is binge eating disorder, or BED, that is the most prevalent. Thought to affect slightly less than 3% of the entire United States population, this disorder is characterized by a desire to eat large quantities of food during a single meal. Most patients with binge eating disorder are not able to physically able to control their eating urges and continue to ingest food after their hunger has been satiated. In addition, a binge eater also eats more rapidly and can sometimes continue to eat until they reach the point of nausea.

Although there is no identified cause of binge eating disorder, it is thought to share a connection with clinical depression. Experts have identified that approximately 50% of the binge eaters in the country have had a history of depression and that there are sometimes trigger points that can start an episode of binge eating. In most cases, these triggers are emotional in nature and can include boredom, happiness, sadness, anger, or other emotions. The condition is often present in people who routinely show their bodies to the public, such as models or competitive athletes and the connection between the inner perception of the body is also a theory as to the cause of BED.

With BED, there are a number of complications that can occur. The most common issue is that the person can gain weight to the point that they become obese, which has a number of negative health problems. In addition, the binges can include unhealthy foods, such as those that are high in sugar, and the lack of proper nutrition can make the patient sick. The habit of binge eating also increases the likelihood of the person developing certain eating related diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, cancer, and heart disease.