Binge Eating

Binge eating is a common eating disorder among Americans. Almost all of us have binged to the point of being unable to stop eating. What is it about bingeing that makes it so difficult to control? Whatever the binge food is, its onset is almost always emotional. "Any negative thought, from insecurity to anger, emptiness to self-doubt, can kick-start overeating. But why is turning to food such a common coping mechanism? “Food helps change our conscious experience. We go into a bubble. Everything feels all right, and nothing can get to us.” (http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/binge-eating-disorder/features/dirty-little-secret-cant-stop-bingeing?page=2) Binge eaters tell themselves they feel bad and can escape by eating. The next day you wake up and feel bad about what the eating you did yesterday, piling on the guilt, and starting the cycle all over again.

There is another component to binge eating - dieting. With an estimated 50% of the US population dieting at any one time, feeling deprived can be another common trigger.

It’s easy to avoid a dieting-related binge. Make sure you have several small meals throughout the day so you don’t feel so deprived that you speed-eat the chips and salsa before dinner. And don’t restrict satiety-inducing carbs to the point where you never feel satisfied.

Dealing with the emotional issues that fuel bingeing, however, isn’t quite as simple as timing meals or managing carbs. Instead of numbing whatever it is—loneliness, frustration, anxiety—with food, ask yourself, “What am I really feeling?” Then ask, “If I eat this food, or go on this binge, what will it cost me?” Most cravings pass within 15 minutes. So if you can fight the urge to eat while exploring the underlying trigger, you’ll be working on your issues while keeping the overeating at bay.


Other treatments for serious binge eating are still being researched. A number of studies have tested medications, particularly those that target serotonin receptors in the brain. These may help some people, but not all. What does seem to work well is cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches individuals how to monitor their eating and change unhealthy eating habits, particularly in sticky stress-induced situations. Ultimately, getting your out-of-control eating in hand is hard work, but it can be done.


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