Do you regularly eat a lot in a short period of time? Feel out of control when eating sometimes? Feel ashamed when you overeat or binge? Eat when you're not hungry? You may have Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Binge Eating Disorder is the most common eating disorder, affecting approximately 2.8% of adults, both men and women. Because Binge Eating Disorder is rarely diagnosed, unlike bulimia or anorexia, the actual rate of occurrence in the general population is likely to be much higher.
Binge eating disorder can have a huge impact on a person's quality of life and it affects both men and women, although women are more likely to be diagnosed. Binge Eating Disorder often begins in the mid-twenties and can last for decades. People with Binge Eating Disorder often suffer for years before getting help and BED has serious long term health risks and dangers. Some of the long-term affects can include malnutrition, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, acid reflux, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and increased risk for developing other diseases such as high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
The good news is that Binge Eating Disorder is very treatable with the help of professionals. There are a number of evidence-based practices that have been shown to be very effective, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Intuitive Eating.
If you struggle with bingeing, there are also some steps you can take at home to reduce binges. First, don't restrict. Restriction is often the prelude to a binge. Next, always eat with no distractions so that you can focus on the taste, smell and textures of the food you are eating. Additionally, serve yourself from a bowl or plate. Never eat directly from the package. And finally, if you do binge, forgive yourself and move on. Beating yourself up makes it much harder to recover.
Elisabeth Garbeil is an eating disorder and trauma therapist that practices at Rochester Area Counseling Services. You can contact her at Elisabeth@rochesterareacounselors.com