What is binge eating?
One should always eat to fuel the body but not to feed the emotions. Many people overeat during the festivals and holidays and this is definitely not binge eating. It becomes a disorder when it occurs very regularly (like more than twice a week or even once a day). This is a sign of binge eating. As a result, there is a risk of weight gain, leading to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other complications.
This condition usually stems from an underlying emotional or mental health issue. In most cases, the traces of binge eating are seen at adolescence. One of the most constructive ways to deal with this disorder is simple understanding that you’re not alone.
Symptoms of binge eating:
- Eating a very large amount of food within a relatively short period of time (e.g. within two hours)
- Feeling a sense of loss of control while eating (e.g. feeling unable to stop yourself from eating)
- Feeling upset after you binge
- Eating much more quickly than normal
- Eating when you are not even hungry
Major reasons for binge eating:
Binge eating can seriously impact a person’s mental and physical health. The exact cause of binge eating disorder is not clear, but biological factors, personality traits, and environmental influences may contribute. Few of them are listed below. Read on.
Physiological Reasons: The body goes through different stages of hunger and it builds up gradually. Due to busy schedules, we tend to ignore our body’s signals of hunger, till the time we are very, very hungry. This stage is often called as “famished/ravenous/starvation” modes or worse “physically faint”. At this stage, an individual would tend to eat uncontrollably as quick energy giving foods as at this stage the brain and the stomach is starved for energy.
The hunger scale ranges from-
- Physically faint
- Ravenous/famished
- Fairly hungry
- Slightly hungry
- Neutral
- Pleasantly satisfied
- Full
- Stuffed
- Bloated
- Nauseous
Note: 1 is the highest form of hunger and 10 is the extreme condition of fullness.
Psychological Reasons: In general, a person tends to binge eat to satisfy an emotion or to satisfy a sense of deprivation. Emotions related to binge eating are generally negative such as “stress, anger, humiliation, etc.”
Dieting: According to the WHO, women who diet are 12 times more likely to have a binge eating disorder compared with those who do not diet. Some people with an eating disorder have never dieted, while others have a history of dieting.
Personality traits: Being a perfectionist or having an obsessive personality type or disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can make an eating disorder more likely.
Biological factors: Surprisingly, biological and genetic factors may play a role. The impact of genetic changes on appetite may affect a person’s eating habits and few believe that gut microbiota may have an impact.
Tips to help control binge eating:
- Keep a food diary
- Portion out your food – less food, more often
- Figure out why you are eating
- Eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day
- Indulge in a physical activity whenever you tend to cross the line
Treatment for binge eating:
Binge eating is a serious issue and detrimental to a one’s health, and anyone experiencing the signs should consider seeking medical help. Thankfully, there are many resources to help us get rid of binge eating and this happens when you are realize it is a real illness and also you are ready to do the necessary work to beat it. The treatment involves –
- Counseling
- Medication
- Other therapies
Our service offerings:
- The success rate of sustainability of weight loss and the ability to follow an appropriate nutrition plan is as low as 1%. But we will help it improve a lot using scientific mind and body processes.
- We identify the reason accurately and plan the sessions very extreme care to improve your condition.
