Binge Eating Disorder ....
Some Eating Disorder!

Binge Eating Disorder, oh my, some Eating Disorder!

It has become more and more rampant amongst us ladies (particularly ladies in the 40s and 50s and teens as well)and threatens our health and well-being.

I'm sure you know what's bulimia nervosa? Binge eating, some experts think, may be a form of bulimia.

But there's a difference here:

You don't try to rid yourself of the extra calories you eat by self-induced vomiting, overexercising or other unhealthy methods,like in bulimia (people with bulimia would purge after eating).

That's why if you've binge-eating disorder, you're generally overweight. In fact, experts say that binge eating may be a type of obesity disorder.

You eat unusually large amounts of food than most people would eat under similar circumstances.

For example, you may eat 10,000 to 20,000 calories worth of food during a binge, while a normal person following a normal diet may eat 1,500 to 3,000 calories in a day.

This kind of excessively overeating becomes a regular thing for you. You may feel deeply embarrassed about gorging and vow to stop it but you've such a compulsion you can't resist the strong urge and continue binge eating.

You would eat rapidly; eat until you're uncomfortably full; eat a lot even when not hungry; hide and eat alone out of embarrassment or you feel disgusted, depressed or guilty after eating.

Your binge could last about 2 hours or the entire day. However, experts are still debating on this.

You would show several behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms, such as:

• You feel that your eating behavior is out of control
• You feel depressed and anxious
• You frequently eat alone, out of shame because of the excessive amount of food you eat
• You would hoard lots of food in your drawer, bedroom, fridge, car, closet......
• You would try to diet or eat normal after a binge but this may lead you to more binges, hence perpetuate a vicious cycle

Experts say there are no known specific causes for binge eating disorder. They think the following factors are at play in binge eating:

1. Biological Factor

Researchers believe genes and brain chemicals may be responsible. They study appetite regulation of the central nervous system for clues, together with gastrointestinal changes that they hope may shed more light on the causes.

2. Psychological Factor

Your psychological and emotional characteristics may contribute to the condition.

Like you perceive yourself as a person having low self-worth; you may act impulsively and feel a lack of control over your behavior.

You may have a history of depression or substance abuse. Or you may have trouble coping with anger, sadness, boredom, worry and stress.

3. Sociocultural Factor

The culture you're in. Often than not, it's obsessed with the message that equates thinness with success and this may heighten your own self-criticism.

Generally though you're overweight, you're acutely aware of your body shape and appearance and berate yourself after eating binges.

4. Sexual Abuse

Some people with binge-eating disorder say they were sexually abused as children.

Yes, because in actual fact, you don't enjoy eating in excess - you find it upsetting and distressing.

And you may even develop psychological and physical problems related to your binges that make you even more miserable and further reduce your quality of life.

The biggest complication is the unhealthy yo-yo eating habits — binging followed by harsh dieting, which can cause havoc to your metabolic system, blood sugar levels and your weight - obesity stares you right in the eye.....

You also eat large amount of unhealthy food that's high in fat, carbohydrate, sugar, salt and oil in a binge, which could lead to malnourishment and health problems - diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, etc.

If you've binge eating disorder, seek medical help pronto!

It usually doesn't get better by itself, and it may even get worse if left untreated.

Talk to your doc about your binge eating symptoms and feelings.

If you don't feel like seeking treatment, then may be seeking help from a friend, a family member or someone you can trust, who can help you take the first steps to seek treatment.

What I want to say is this - don't try to diagnose yourself. — get professional help if you've the symptoms.

There's no sure way to prevent binge eating disorder.

However, I think these below could be the ways to help:

-Eat breakfast. Many people with binge eating disorder skip breakfast. But studies show that if you eat breakfast, you're less prone to eating higher calorie meals later in the day.

-Don't stock up. Keep less food in your drawer, fridge, bedroom, car.... It takes away your temptation and chance to binge

-Stay connected with family members and friends who want to see you get healthy and who have your best interests at heart

-Get up and move, be more active. Start an exercise you love and enjoy doing but more so go for one that's suitable to your health condition if you're overweight or obese

-Don't be hard with your own self-criticism. Easy and relax. You don't need to live up to society's expectation.

Just be yourself and know that you've high self-worth, no matter what body shape.

To my mind, binge eating disorder is a serious and frightening eating disorder which could undermine the quality of your life and also erode your health.

If you've this eating problem, I urge you to seek medical help. Or find a trusted confidante you can talk to about what's going on. Together, you may be able to come up with some treatment options.

Also find healthy ways to nurture yourself by doing something fun and interesting, to relax your mind and body.

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