OVERCOMING BINGE EATING                            

By: Linda Blakeley, Ph.D.

Excerpt from original article

“I fought the binge for a few days but I knew I was going to do it over the weekend. I went to the store, bought my favorite junk food and ate until I thought I would die.  I never went out the entire weekend.”

     Rachel suffered from guilt and shame over her late night binges. After bingeing, she was confused and filled with remorse. Although Rachel graduated from college with honors, she was unsure of what she wanted to do.   She quit a number of entry level jobs in a variety of career fields.  They all left her feeling dissatisfied.  She had few friends and rarely dated. 

Her story is all too familiar.  She  struggles with a Binge Eating Disorder (BED).BED sufferers are robbed of their self-esteem and confidence, which  prevents them from having satisfaction in both their professional and personal lives.

 At an early age, I struggled with binge eating myself.  As a clinical psychologist eating disorder specialist for over fifteen years and national speaker, my mission is to assist women find inner peace and self-love.  My goal is to help them identify their unique voices so they can create a solid foundation for their lives and for the lives of their children.

Find out if you have a Binge Eating Disorder

            Today, specific criteria are used to determine Binge Eating Disorders. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (4^th edition/text revision (DSM-IV-TR) an episode of binge eating is characterized by 2 key criteria:

·        Eating within a discrete period (i.e.,  any 2-hour period) an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances

·        A sense of lack of control over how much one is eating and the feeling that one cannot stop eating

Everyone overeats once in a while, but to be classified as BED, binges  must occur on an average of at least 2 days per week for at least 6 months. Loss of control is a key factor in the diagnosis of BED. At least 3 of the following 5 indicators of loss of control must be present:

·        Eating much more rapidly than normal.

·        Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.

·        Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry.

·        Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or very guilty after the episode.

BED is not associated with the use of compensatory behaviors, such as purging, fasting, or exercising excessively.

Factors Contributing to BED

Jamie, twenty-eight years old, entered treatment for BED. She  binged on large quantities of food, unable to stop. Having lost over fifty pounds, she regained it again within a short period of time.  Feeling hopeless, unlovable, and confused, she decided to seek treatment.

During the course of the initial evaluation, I determined she was suffering from depression. I found out that  her fiancé had broken off their engagement five years earlier.  Her father died the day before her senior prom. With the breakup of her engagement, the flood-gates opened and she reverted to binge eating. Unable to tolerate the strong emotions that the death of her father and the break-up of her engagement brought up in her, she began to numb herself out using food.

Jamie was unaware of how the incidents related to her eating. When she was invited to be a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding, she made a commitment to take off the weight.  The upcoming special occasion set her in motion and she lost the fifty pounds by joining a group dieting program.

 By the time of the wedding, she felt hopeful and positive about herself.  However, during the ceremony, Jamie “cried hysterically” when she was reminded that her father would never walk her down the aisle at her own wedding. Embarrassed and ashamed at her display of emotion, she told herself she would never cry that way again. Soon after the wedding, she started bingeing again and quickly regained the weight she had worked so hard to lose.

BED is found among all ethnic groups and in many countries around the world. Approximately 60% of individuals diagnosed with BED are women. . A significant number of individuals identified as having BED are overweight. Often, there is a genetic, environmental, or family predisposition towards obesity. The rate of depressive disorders is often higher in their families.  It is not uncommon for these individuals to have one parent who has alcohol or substance abuse problems.  Many come from divorced families where conflict over custody disrupted their lives for many years after the divorce.