I’d like to share something personal today. When I started this blog, I wasn’t sure how much I’d want to share about my personal and emotional struggles with food, but I was inspired today by Kristen– who shared a very personal story of her own recently. You never know who else might be struggling with the same issues, and I hope that my story might make others who feel the same hopelessness and isolation, feel a little less alone.
*Please note: If you have an eating disorder, and know that reading about symptoms of an eating disorder might trigger unwanted behavior, please avoid reading any further. I promise I will discuss a more pleasant subject matter in my next post!
Today I’d like to talk about Binge Eating. No, not those little splurges that we all experience now and then. The actual eating disorder, which is characterized by uncontrollable, mindless eating. According to the National Institutes of Health, 2 percent of all U.S. adults suffer from compulsive eating. That makes the binge eating disorder more common than bullemia or anorexia! Unlike other eating disorders, which mostly occur among women, binge eating also affects a number of men. Binge eating usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet. But most people don’t seek help until much later when weight gain from their binge eating is causing health problems.
Behavioral symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder include:
- Inability to stop eating or control what you’re eating
- Rapidly eating large amounts of food
- Eating even when you’re full
- Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret
- Eating normally around others, but gorging when you’re alone
- Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtime
Emotional Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder include:
- Feeling tension that is only relieved by eating
- Embarrassment over how much you’re eating
- Feeling numb while bingeing—like you’re not really there or you’re on auto-pilot.
- Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat
- Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating
- Desperation to control weight and eating habits
Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia in that both eating disorders involve consuming massive amounts of food in a short time period. But unlike bulimics, binge eaters DO NOT regularly try to purge or work off the extra calories consumed. People with binge eating disorder may occasionally try to fast or restrict calories, but many have given up all dieting efforts due to a long history of repeated failure.
There are many factors that may contribute to developing a binge eating disorder. Social pressure to be thin can add to the shame binge eaters feel and fuel their emotional eating. Emotional issues, such as depression, low self-esteem, loneliness, and body dissatisfaction are also involved in compulsive overeating. People with binge eating disorder may also have trouble with impulse control and managing and expressing their feelings.
I found this description online from helpguide.org, and I couldn’t describe this disorder better myself:
People with binge eating disorder suffer from this psychological food addiction. Like the alcoholic that can’t say no to a drink, they can’t say no to food. Often, their binge eating is triggered by a depressed or anxious mood, but they may also overeat when they’re tense, lonely, or bored. They eat to feed their feelings, rather than their bodies.
The problem is that emotional eating doesn’t solve anything. It may be comforting for a brief moment, but then reality sets back in, along with regret and self-loathing. Emotional eating also leads to problems of its own—including weight gain and obesity.
Unfortunately, weight gain only reinforces compulsive eating. It’s not that people with binge eating disorder don’t care about their bodies; they agonize over their ballooning weight. But the worse they feel about themselves and their appearance, the more they use food to cope. It becomes a vicious cycle: eating to feel better, feeling even worse, and then turning back to food for relief.
People with binge eating disorder are embarrassed and ashamed of their eating habits, so they often try to hide their symptoms and eat in secret. Many binge eaters are overweight or obese, but some are of normal weight.
I often make light of my eating disorder with friends, holding back from eating certain “trigger foods” by calling them my own personal form of “crack.” My close friends know I’m a “crack-addict.” However, I don’t let them know how serious my food addiction can be. Even now, I do not feel comfortable truly sharing my binging behaviors here– even with total strangers! It’s an embarrassing disorder, especially considering it’s just FOOD that I’m addicted to! Doesn’t that sound so silly? What I have come to realize, though, is that it’s not just food that I’m addicted to– it’s the behavior of secret-eating and compulsive eating. I get a “buzz” from eating things I know I shouldn’t. It’s like my own form of rebellion! I’ve also realized that I’m not alone. I think many more people have binge eating disorders, without even realizing it. It’s not until you have lived with the disorder for a while until you learn to recognize the symptoms.
Now, I don’t want those of you without this disorder to think that you all of the sudden have a problem either! Let me repeat: pigging out every now and then on junk food DOES NOT mean you have an eating disorder! That means your NORMAL and give into temptation every now and then! And that’s fine! I’m talking about compulsive, out-of-control eating– eating to the point you are uncomfortably full, hiding it, and are feeling constantly overwhelmed with thoughts of food. Typically, many dieters become victims to this disorder, so let me warn you now: do not fall victim to drastic diets! I believe years of crazy dieting is how I developed my own disorder. I have been unhappy with my body image for years now (thanks to many years of dancing) and I finally became a disordered eater after trying every fad diet on the planet.
There is a happy ending to this story. I do believe that disordered eating can be managed (although, like an alcoholic, I will always have to be careful). Focusing on a moderate, healthy diet is the first step in the right direction. You must learn to eat for health, rather than weight loss. Overcoming binge eating disorder also involves getting emotional eating under control. Eating right and listening to your body is an essential step in stopping binge eating. Other strategies that help include practicing relaxation techniques, staying connected to family and friends, and making time for things you enjoy as part of your daily schedule.
Not everyone can deal with an eating disorder on their own. For some, it’s important to seek professional support and treatment. There are support groups, medications and plenty of health professionals out there who can offer help. I’ve listed some resources below that may be helpful:
How to stop emotional eating
Eating Disorder Treatment Finder
Overeaters Anonymous
Most of the information about Binge Eating Disorder was borrowed from HelpGuide.org. Please see their article on Binge Eating Disorder for more information and resources.
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