Eating Disorder Clinics

Of all the eating disorders, one that causes obesity in people is known as a binge eating disorder. In this disorder, an individual eats an unusually large amount of food in a short time period. Many people sometimes overeat, but binge eaters go on an uncontrolled spree of eating. They gulp down food at high speed.

Through this article we will attempt to inform you some important aspects of a binge eating disorder.

The difference between binge eating and bulimia nervosa is that in binge eating, no compensatory purging or non-purgatory behavior is noticed, whereas it is a characteristic feature of bulimia nervosa.

Binge eating disorder is a compulsive eating disorder (COD). However, it does not quite fit into either the affective disorder, the addictive disorder, or the true obsessive compulsive disorder category. Individual risk factors in a person's emotional and physical makeup are responsible for binge eating.

Binge eating disorder can be recognized by the presence of certain behaviors in individuals. These include regular intake of unusually large amounts of fattening food, obsession with food and weight, solitary eating because of perceived fear of public embarrassment, and eating even when not hungry.

Aetiology: Binge eating disorder affects both sexes and can occur in all ages.

Risk factors: People with intolerance towards glucose and food, low self-esteem, dissatisfied people with unexpressed feelings or those with unmet needs have a tendency towards binge eating disorder. These people try to alternatively meet such needs through binge eating.

Disease Progression: Efforts at weight reduction are followed by typical overeating reaction in binge eaters, Greater degree of craving for glucose containing food is observed in binge eaters. This causes a surge in blood glucose in these people. Their pancreas then reacts by producing more insulin. The insulin causes blood glucose levels to again go down. The binge eaters then eat more glucose containing food.

This cycle continues viciously. The binge eater still does not understand this whole process. Sometimes the binge eater goes into the guilt phase, sometimes into restraint, and sometimes into binge eating. The binge eater becomes trapped in this cycle.

Physical consequences: These are as a result of blood sugar swings. The consequences include stomach pain, heat and cold intolerance, irritability, and headaches.

Emotional consequences: Anxiety, lack of concentration, despair, panic attacks, and depression are the result.

Treatment: This includes making the patient aware about low blood sugar and the effects of dieting so that the perception of inadequacy and blame can be reduced. It also includes making the patient aware about the urgent need to address his/her relationship with food, rather than attempts to become slim. Dietary changes include low intake of alcohol and caffeine and insistence on frequent but little eating of complex carbohydrate food.

Treatment for binge eating disorder also includes development of interpersonal skills and problem solving, and training in assertion and self esteem enhancement.

Eating Disorder Clinics |