FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Binge Eating?
Binge eating or binge eating disorder is an eating disorder wherein a person has rapidly eats an excessive amount of food.
How do I know I have binge eating?
Most people who binge usually eat a lot faster than they normally do. They also eat more food than they usually eat and do it more frequently. Binge eaters also eat even after they are full and feel disgusted or depressed after binging.
How many people are affected by binge eating?
Binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders. In the united states alone, it affects 2% of all adults or around 2-3 million people yearly.
What are the risk factors in Binge eating?
Although it affects almost all kinds of people equally, binge eating effects women twice as more than in men. Binge eating is also more common among young people, usually affecting people between the ages of 18-25 years.
What causes Binge eating?
The exact cause of binge eating is still unknown. It has often been tied with the emotional condition of a person. Most binge eaters were found to have a history of depression and low self esteem. Other research shows a connection between binge eating and impulse control problems.
What are the complications or side effects of Binge eating?
Most of the complications in binge eating are the direct result of the obesity that eventually affects binge eaters. These complications include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
Is it advisable for people who binge eat to go on diets?
Although there is no direct research on the subject, going on diets usually makes a person’s binge eating worse. Before going on any diet, it is advisable to first consult your doctor.
What are the common signs that a person is binge eating?
Aside from the usual signs of binge eating, other signs of binge eating includes: eating alone, rapid weight gain, mood swings or depression, eats when saddened or bored and eats even when not feeling hungry.
What is the relationship between binge eating and other eating disorders?Binge eating symptoms are usually also present in other eating disorders. While most eating disorders accompany each other, binge eating is usually a symptom or an accompanying effect of other eating disorders.
What are the most common eating disorders that accompany binge eating?
Most disorders that accompany binge eating are other eating disorders such as overeating, compulsive eating and emotional eating.
What treatment is available for Binge Eaters?
Most binge eaters are usually referred to support groups that help people with eating disorders deal with their condition. They can also be referred to other health professionals that are trained to deal with this disorder.
What is the relationship between weight and binge eating?
While not all binge eaters are obese, they often gain weight rapidly because of the amount of food they eat. Other eating disorders, such as bulimia, do not affect weight gain because they expunge the food they eat.
How often do binge eaters have ‘episodes’ of binge eating?
In a study made, it was shown that episodes occur around 2 days a week for a period of five to seven months.
Can binge eating be treated psychologically?
Psychological treatment is very effective among binge eaters. Binge eaters usually deal with emotional problems such as depression and guilt because of their binge eating.
Are there any medications for Binge eating?
Although there are studies that show some progress in controlling the chemicals in the brain that affect binge eating, it is still in the early stages of development.
