Is it normal to binge?
Binge eating is something almost everyone has experienced in their lifetime. The temptation to overeat can sometimes be hard to resist and it’s absolutely normal to give in from time to time. So how do you know when it becomes a problem? Where’s the limit between an occasional harmless behavior and a full-fledged eating disorder?
Binge Eating Disorder, also known as BED, is defined as recurrent episodes of « binge eating », which means eating for instance in 2 hours an amount of food larger than most people would eat in a similar period under similar circumstances. Most importantly, there is a sense of lack of control over the eating during the episode. This perceived lack of control and the distress level it induces are more critical than the actual amount consumed. Someone is diagnosed with BED when the binge eating occurs at least once a week over the course of a few months.
Binge eating episodes are usually associated with the following: eating more rapidly than normal, eating until feeling uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food when not hungry, secretive eating and feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty after binge.
BED is by far the most common eating disorder and the most underdiagnosed. It’s sometimes mistaken for obesity, although 30% of those who suffer from BED are not obese. 60 to 70% of those seeking bariatric interventions have BED. It’s also important to note that being overweight or obese does NOT necessarily imply the presence of BED.
BED is often viewed as a problem of willpower, low self-esteem or depression, but not really considered a legitimate eating disorder. Although it affects both men and women, BED is often trivialized. People who have it are ashamed of it as they’re more often the target of blame than people who suffer from other eating or psychological disorders.
But why do people binge eat? The reasons behind binge eating are complex – they can be about genetics, biochemistry or stressors. People who binge eat usually use food to meet needs other than hunger, such as distraction from feelings or feared situations or soothing anxiety, shame, grief or loneliness. To change eating habits permanently, these needs must be met in new ways; otherwise people will revert to binge eating as soon as a stressor occurs.
In a nutshell, everyone binge eats occasionally, but it only gets worrisome when it becomes a pattern such that peace of mind is compromised. Recovery from BED is not about never overeating again or about losing weight (although this might happen). It’s about recognizing the “triggers” – i.e. the behavioral patterns that become connected with overeating over time – and learn how to avoid them or to disconnect them from the desire to overeat. A therapist can be a great help in this process, as he can give one the resources to address and possibly heal the trigger over time.
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