Binge eating disorder (BED): Causes and Symptoms

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a type of eating disorder which is characterised by episodes of binge eating which includes eating faster than normal or eating too much until the person starts feeling uncomfortably. 

BED is far from being enjoyable, they are not about eating large portions of food, binge eating can be very distressing, involving the person eating larger amounts of food than they would normally want to eat. BED affects almost 2% of people worldwide and can cause additional complications linked to diet, like very heart problems and diabetes.

They find it very difficult to stop eating even if they want to. Some people don’t like the phase while they are bingeing, they have feelings of shame or guilt during or after the episode of binge eating. Some even said that they struggle to remember even what they’ve eaten during the binge.

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Eating disorders are often related to deeper health issues, usually mental health issues. People usually develop an eating disorder as a way of dealing some problems like anxiety or depression.

Some common causes can be:

• Having a family history of eating disorders
• History of depression, anxiety and related mental health issues 
• Have been suffered from body shaming 
• Having low self-esteem, 
• Have been through some trauma or sexual abuse

Certain situations can make one feel the urge to binge eat, including overwhelming feelings of feeling depressed, angry or anxious and even happy.  

Symptoms of BED can be: 

-eating very fast

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-eating until there’s a feeling of being uncomfortably full

-eating even when not hungry

-eating large portions of food in a very short period of time 

-eating secretly due to feelings of embarrassment 

-feelings of guilt or disgust during and after eating

-storing up supplies of food items

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-feeling depressed, extreme unhappiness or anxious 

- feeling ashamed about overeating, body shape, and weight

How to get help for binge eating disorder?

If you have symptoms of binge eating disorder, do see a doctor as soon as possible. Don’t consider your problem small or be scared to reach out for help. Your doctor will ask you about your eating habits and will check your overall health. They might also refer you to some specialist.