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Compulsive Overeating

A compulsive overeater (binge-eater) is an individual who compulsively eats but does not purge and usually becomes overweight. The overeater may eat three meals a day plus frequent snacks. He or she may overeat continually throughout the day, rather than consume large amounts of food during binges. 		 
 

How Does Someone Know if He or She Has binge-eating Disorder?
Most of us overeat from time to time, and many people often feel they've eaten more than they should have. Eating a lot of food does not always mean that a person has binge-eating disorder.

Doctors generally agree that most people with serious binge-eating problems often:

  • Feel their eating is out of control
  • Eat what most people would think is an unusually large amount of food
  • Eat much more quickly than usual during binge episodes
  • Eat until so full they are uncomfortable
  • Eat large amounts of food, even when they are not really hungry
  • Eat alone because they are embarrassed about the amount of food they eat
  • Feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty after overeating
binge-eating also takes place in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. Persons with bulimia nervosa, however, usually purge, fast, or do strenuous exercise after they binge eat. Purging means vomiting or using a lot of diuretics (water pills) or laxatives to keep from gaining weight. Fasting is not eating for at least 24 hours. Strenuous exercise, in this case, means exercising for more than an hour just to keep from gaining weight after binge-eating. Purging, fasting, and over-exercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight.

binge-eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder. Most people with this problem are either overweight or obese, but normal-weight people also can have the disorder. (The 1998 NIH Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 and obesity as a BMI of 30 or more. BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared.

About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge-eating disorder. About 10 to 15 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight-loss programs have binge-eating disorder. The disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.

binge-eating disorder is a little more common in women than in men; three women for every two men have it. The disorder affects blacks as often as whites. No one knows how often it affects people in other ethnic groups.

People who are obese and have binge-eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder. They might also lose and gain back weight (yo-yo diet) more often.

Side Effects
Most people with binge-eating disorder have tried to control it on their own, but have not been able to control it for very long. Some people miss work, school or social activities to binge eat. Persons who are obese with binge-eating disorder often feel bad about themselves and may avoid social gatherings.

Most people who binge eat, whether they are obese or not, feel ashamed and try to hide their problem. Often they become so good at hiding it that even close friends and family members don't know they binge eat.

Health Hazards
People with binge-eating disorder can get sick because they may not be getting the right nutrients. They usually eat large amounts of fats and sugars, which don't have a lot of vitamins or minerals.

People with binge-eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge-eating and may become very depressed.

People who are obese and also have binge-eating disorder are at risk for:

  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol levels
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Heart disease
  • Certain types of cancer

    People who are not overweight should avoid dieting because it sometimes makes their binge-eating worse. Dieting here means skipping meals, not eating enough food each day, or avoiding certain kinds of food (such as carbohydrates). These are unhealthy ways to try to change your body shape and weight. Many people with binge-eating disorder have health problems because of their weight. These people should try to lose weight and keep it off. People with binge-eating disorder who are obese may find it harder to stay in a weight-loss program. They also may lose less weight than other people and may regain weight more quickly. (This can be worse when they also have problems like depression, trouble controlling their behavior, and difficulty dealing with other people.) These people may need treatment for binge-eating disorder before they try to lose weight.

    Symptoms

    Symptoms of binge-eating disorder:
    Recurrent episodes of binge-eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a lack of control over eating during the episode.

    The binge-eating episodes are associated with at least three of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal; eating until feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry; eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating; feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating.

    • Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior.
    • Binge-eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months.
    • Binge-eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise).
    • People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia.
    The main difference is that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge-eating.

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