When it comes to the topic of eating disorders, most people immediately think of anorexia or bulimia. But severe obesity can also be a sign of mental distress. Often misunderstood in the past, binge-eating disorder has increasingly become the focus of public attention in recent years.
But how can you tell if you are at risk or already affected? What are the underlying causes of the disease and what treatment options are available? You can find out all this and more in the following article.
Before we look at the symptoms in detail, let's first explain the technical term in more detail. Binge means "binge", eating is the English term for eating. Binge eating therefore refers to excessive, excessive food intake.
During eating attacks, sufferers experience a loss of control. Although they already feel full, they continue to eat compulsively. However, some sufferers no longer experience satiety at all. During binge eating episodes, very large amounts of food are consumed in a short period of time. The inevitable consequence of constant overeating is obesity.
Conversely, this does not necessarily mean that every overweight person suffers from binge eating. In addition to body weight, numerous other factors play a role in the diagnosis. Even people of normal weight can meet the criteria for a binge eating disorder.
In binge-eating disorder, sufferers eat a large amount of food in a very short time. However, such binge eating is also a symptom of bulimia nervosa and can even occur in anorexia nervosa. The difference is that there is no attempt to compensate. To put it simply, after the binge eating episode, sufferers do not try to "get rid" of the food.
Bulimics or anorexics vomit, exercise excessively, starve themselves for days, or take laxatives after an eating episode. Nothing of the sort can be observed in binge eating patients. Whereas in the other clinical pictures, weight gain is prevented by all means by those affected, people with a binge-eating disorder let it happen.
On the basis of Investigations by the RKI also shows that binge eaters are much older than anorexics or bulimics. On average, the disorder begins in young adulthood, whereas the other two eating disorders mostly affect adolescents or even children. In addition, the proportion of male patients with binge eating is significantly higher.
As already mentioned, not every overweight person necessarily suffers from an eating disorder. Whether eating behavior is problematic cannot always be determined by the criterion of body weight alone. For this purpose, other criteria must be met, which we would like to take a closer look at below.
The Main symptom of a binge-eating disorder are regular binge eating episodes, after which compensatory measures to prevent weight gain are omitted. The consequence is sooner or later Obesity. But when do we even talk about an eating binge? After all, each of us has gone overboard with food at one time or another.
However, during a binge eating episode, several thousand calories are consumed in a very short time. This is a scale that no healthy person would manage. So we are not talking about the second portion at the buffet or the whole bar of chocolate, but about several fast food menus, family packs of pizza, ice cream and other things. Another characteristic feature is the experienced Loss of control and the subsequent Shame.
In addition to the characteristic binge eating and resulting severe weight gain, there are other secondary symptoms:
Binge eating disorder has an extremely negative impact on the emotional well-being of those affected. Under the stressful feelings of guilt, shame and failure after a binge eating episode, self-esteem gradually dwindles. A vicious circle of self-hatred and guilt develops, and the unpleasant feelings are repeatedly numbed with food.
As with all eating disorders, binge eating is not the actual problem, but a compensatory mechanism. Many sufferers express that they are plugging an emotional hole by eating copiously. Almost always, several factors play a role in the development of the disorder.
Genetic factors can certainly play a role in the clinical picture of binge eating. For example, a dysregulation of the hypothalamus - specifically a deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin - can have a favorable effect on the development of the eating disorder. The hypothalamus is an important control center in the diencephalon, which regulates the Sense of satiety regulated.
Paradoxically, frequent (extreme) diets can also program the body for binge eating. If you deprive your body of food again and again, it reacts with even more violent hunger attacks. What is actually a sensible mechanism can, however, develop into a problem.
In addition to possible genetic influences, psychological and social factors play a role in the development of binge eating. These include:
In our Western culture, slim bodies are considered the ideal of beauty. Those who do not conform to this norm and have low self-esteem are susceptible to developing eating disorders. Coupled with other genetic and social factors as well as stressful life events, anorexia, bulimia or binge eating can develop.
Even if, in the case of the latter, compensatory measures are omitted and those affected move further and further away from the common ideal, this in no way means that they do not wish for this. However, a feeling of resignation often sets in. The hatred for one's own body grows with each eating attack and the motivation to change something dwindles. Much like the motto, "It doesn't matter now anyway."
The constant compulsion to diet in order to conform to a certain body image can also promote binge eating disorder. As mentioned earlier, starvation diets fuel cravings. This means that after the diet, people feast all the more, which can lead to Yo-Yo Effect leads. At some point, sufferers give up on themselves and give free rein to the desire to eat.
The consequences and complications of binge-eating disorder can be serious on both a physical and psychological level. This makes prompt and targeted therapy all the more important. Below, we have summarized the possible psychological and physical consequences for you.
The earlier the binge-eating disorder is recognized and treated, the better the chances of recovery. This applies in principle to every form of eating disorder. There are various therapeutic approaches, which are often combined with each other.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the gold standard in the treatment of eating disorders. The focus here is on identifying current problems (the triggers of the eating attacks) and working out alternative solutions. You learn to admit your thoughts and feelings and manage them without using harmful behaviors like overeating.
Interpersonal psychotherapy is a short-term therapy that directly addresses the causes of depressive episodes. The goal is to determine the connection between behavior and depression and to develop alternative behavioral approaches. However, the cost of interpersonal psychotherapy is not covered by health insurance.
Anyone suffering from binge eating has no choice but to change their lifestyle. Unlike other addictions, however, the goal cannot be abstinence, because it is neither possible nor sensible to completely give up the "addictive substance" of food. Accordingly, the goal is to develop a healthy approach. This usually requires professional nutritional counseling.
In order to support a healthy body image as well as indicated weight loss, exercise also plays an important role. One possibility, for example, would be sports groups for overweight people or for people with binge-eating disorder.
