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February is the month of love and heartache, which means that there's a good chance you or someone you know will be binging on chocolates and ice cream come Valentine's Day.
Did you know, however, that those who make it a semi-regular habit to binge on food could have an eating disorder?
According to Health News Magazine, "Listed in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is estimated to affect 2.8 million women and men."
This is different from bulimia, which is where one would binge far past the point of being full and then purge the extra calories. BED is different, because unlike those with bulimia or anorexia, people with BED aren't bent on controlling their weight and shape.
Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD, explains that the age onset of BED is typically around 21 (other eating disorders tend to start in the teen years). People with BED typically consume an abnormally large amount of food in one sitting--they describe feeling out-of-control, unable to stop themselves from eating until they are over-stuffed. There is a heavy sense of shame following the binge.
The defining criterion for having BED is binging at least one time a week for three months. Those with BED come in all shapes and sizes--they can be overweight, underweight, normal, or obese. It occurs equally among men and women, and among all races. As Dr. Oliver-Pyatt said, “We have to get past the assumption that it’s just privileged white girls” affected by eating disorders.
The binging is often done secretly, and the drive to do it is so consuming that a person will miss out on social events to eat. Dr. Olive-Pyatt described being “mugged” by the disorder. The basis of BED is a mix of neurochemical reactions and family history.
Health Magazine explains that one woman, Sunny Sea Gold, a journalist and eating disorder advocate who’s the author of Food: The Good Girl’s Drug, had struggled with her BED during a trip to South Beach, Miami with co-workers. “I used to beat myself up and called myself a ‘pig’ and ‘freak.'” The allure of the hotel's mini bar was overpowering. One night, she recalled, “everyone was going out to a club and I didn't go—I couldn't wait to be alone in the hotel room and eat.”
Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder typically involves therapy sessions with a qualified professional (the site BingeEatingDisorder has some starter talking points to help you get the conversation started). If you feel like your relationship with food is out of control, talk with your doctor.
What do you think about this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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