Binge eaters are known to hide their seemingly out-of-control eating because they fear what others will say. But it’s a myth that binge eating is simply a bad habit or evidence of poor self-control.
Recovered binge eater, Sunny Sea Gold, the author of “Food: The Good Girl’s Drug,” mentions some of the dangerous myths about a condition that affects a surprising number of people.
One of the biggest myths out there is that binge eating disorder (BED) is a fake disorder In fact, binge eating is a real disorder that’s listed (along with anorexia and bulimia) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the “bible” of mental illness.
Binge eating disorder (BED) finally has its own place in the DSM! It is widely known that binge eaters are highly successful people with plenty of drive and determination. Binge eating disorder actually compels people to eat – just as alcoholism compels people to drink. There’s now mounting evidence that, for binge eaters, eating activates specific regions of the brain in much the same way that using cocaine or heroin lights up specific brain regions in substance abusers.
Some binge eaters are overweight, but not all. Many binge eaters use crash diets to maintain a normal weight – even though they might take in 2,000 or more excess calories on a daily basis. Some binge eaters are actually underweight.
Eating disorders are more common in women, but men suffer too. Studies suggest that about 2% of American men have binge eating disorder, as compared to 3 to 5% of women. Roughly one in five eating disorders of any kind are diagnosed in men.
Binge eating behavior has also been seen in children as young as six. Any parent who suspects that a child is sneaking food, hiding food, or experiencing a loss of control around food should consult a child psychologist or psychiatrist with experience in treating eating disorders.
Some people think recovering from binge eating means avoiding certain trigger foods – the same way alcoholics generally must avoid alcohol for the rest of their lives. Sugary, fatty, or carbohydrate-rich foods can trigger binge eating in some people, and many people with the disorder choose to cut back on these foods for a while. But most people can safely eat these foods once they’ve recovered from binge eating disorder.
Gastric bypass and other forms of weight-loss (bariatric) surgery can sometimes eliminate diabetes and other physical problems caused by obesity. But it can’t eliminate the psychological disorder that causes people to binge-eat. Following weight-loss surgery, some former binge-eaters find they are unable to eat as much food as they once did – and so become heavy drinkers or compulsive shoppers as a result.
The goal is to go within to see what’s actually happening. The issues, once are addressed, explored and healed can ameliorate binge eating compulsions.
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