Binge Eating Disorders Treatment

We all overeat from time to time, take a third helping at many functions, for example, or gulp down a whole package of chocolate cookies during a late-night study session. But if overeating becomes a regular and unmanageable habit, we may be suffering from binge eating disorder. Binge eaters use food to manage with stress and other pessimistic emotions, but their obsessive overeating just makes us feel worse. The good news is that binge eating disorder is curable. With professional help and support, we can learn to stop binge eating.

Binge eating disorder is determined by compulsive overeating in which people eat huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and helpless to stop. A binge eating event typically lasts around two hours, but some people binge on and off all day long. Binge eaters often eat even when they're not hungry and carry on eating long after they're full. We may also eat as fast as we can while barely registering what we are eating. The key features of binge eating disorder are that they indulge in frequent episodes of uncontrollable binge eating, feel extremely distressed or upset during or after bingeing and there is no regular attempts to “make up" for the binges through vomiting, fasting, or over-exercising.

People with binge eating disorder fight with feelings of guilt, disgust, and depression. They worry about what the neurotic eating will do to their bodies and beat themselves up for their lack of self-control. They greatly want to stop binge eating, but they feel like they can't.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 2 percent of all adults suffer from obsessive overeating. Contrasting other eating disorders, which mainly occur in women, binge eating disorder also affects a significant number of men. Binge eating usually starts in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet. But most people don't look for help until much later when weight gain from their binge eating is causing health troubles.

Binge eating leads to a wide array of physical, emotional, and social problems. People with binge eating disorder account more health issues, stress, insomnia, and suicidal opinion than people without an eating disorder. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are well-known side effects as well. Binge eating also interrupts with a person's relationships and career.

Overcoming binge eating disorder also involves receiving emotional eating under control. Eating right and listening to our body is an indispensable step in stopping binge eating. Other strategies that help comprise practicing relaxation techniques, staying associated to family and friends, and making time for things we enjoy as part of our daily schedule.

While there are many things we can do to help our self stop binge eating, it's also important to seek professional support and treatment. Health professionals who propose treatment for binge eating disorder include psychiatrists, nutritionists, therapists, and eating disorder and obesity specialists. The objective of treatment for binge eating disorder is to reduce obsessive overeating and bingeing episodes. If obesity is endangering our health, weight loss may be another goal. However, dieting can contribute to binge eating, so any weight loss efforts should be carefully monitored by our treatment team.

• Felicia Byrnes
• 31/03/2009, 12:59 AM
• 0 Comments