What Exactly Is Binge Eating And How To Tell If You Do It
- Feb 23, 2022
- 4 min read
Written by: Vanessa McLennan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We all enjoy to over indulge once in a while. Who doesn’t love to eat more of the food that we absolutely love. But does that mean we are binge eaters with an eating disorder? No, definitely not.
Out of all the people who do have an eating disorder 22% will suffer with binge eating disorder. Binge eating is on a continuum where there is a range from having a binge every now and again to having a serious eating disorder where you will binge quite a few times a day. It is therefore helpful to know what constitutes a binge and what would be considered as a binge eating disorder so you can see where you sit on this continuum. The only person who can judge when you feel you need help about your eating is you. If your eating patterns are making you miserable and you feel your life is out of control with it, it may benefit you to speak to somebody sooner rather than later.
If you do have binge eating episodes, it is helpful to know that there is help out there for you. There are a number of charities, clinics and private therapists who will specialise in this area and will know what you are going through. They will also have the expertise to help you heal.
Here are some signs of Binge Eating.
What is a binge?
A binge would be considered eating an unusually large amount of food in a short period of time. It would not be considered a binge if you had a large dinner. A binge is eating a large amount of food, in a very short space of time outside of your meals. Along with it would be a sense of a lack of control, for instance a feeling that you cannot stop. You could keep eating until you are past comfortably full. Hunger is often not a factor with binge eating.
What behaviours are classified as a Binge Eating Disorder?
In the DSM 5, which is the Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Health disorders. Binge Eating Disorder is defined as having all the following criteria.
Criteria 1
Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:
Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
The sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)
Criteria 2
Binge-eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:
Eating much more rapidly than normal
Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
Criteria 3
Marked distress regarding binge eating is present.
Criteria 4
The binge eating occurs, on average,
at least 2 days a week for 6 months (DSM-IV frequency and duration criteria)
at least 1 day a week for 3 months (DSM-5 frequency and duration criteria)
Criteria 5
The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behavior (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise) and does not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
You may be able to identify with some of the criteria but not all of the criteria. So hence you may have some bingeing episodes, but it would not constitute a full on eating disorder.
That is not to say that those episodes of bingeing do not cause you upset. It can be very frustrating when you know you should not be eating, you do not want to eat but cannot stop yourself and then you feel guilty or shame for having eaten what you have.
If you identify with any of the behaviours listed above it can be helpful to keep a track of your eating so you can start to recognise patterns. Keep a track of your emotions that go with these eating patterns. Then when you feel ready to talk to someone you have something tangible you can refer back to. Lastly, be kind to yourself. It is not your fault; you are not weak for eating this way. You did it as a way to either cope or escape. Healing is possible for you.
Vanessa McLennan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Vanessa McLennan is a hypnotherapist/psychotherapist specialising in Binge Eating, Weight loss and obesity. After experiencing challenges in life, she found therapy and it was a life changing experience for her. Her life moved forward so much that she wanted to help others. She started specialising in weightloss and disordered eating because her own poor health caused her to clean up her own diet and healthy living became a passion of hers. She helps people who have been on many diets and they have not worked. Their eating has got out of control and they can't escape the cycle betw een eating too much or restriction. Are you ready and open to exploring your mind and emotions to help clear your unconscious saboteurs? To go within to work on the cause of your habits and not just the symptoms? Vanessa takes her clients on a healing journey where they heal the relationship with themselves and with food. An exploratory, liberating, life changing journey
