Even though binge eating is somewhat similar to bulimia, the difference is that binge eaters don't purge themselves of the ingested food. What they share with bulimics is the desire or need to find comfort in eating and the fact that all their control is lost when eating.
What are the possible causes of binge eating disorder ?It is still difficult to pin point the exact cause or causes of binge eating. However, research show that the following may be some of the causes :
Dieting – It’s not clear if
dieting is a cause of binge eating. It’s important that fifty percent of the sufferers of binge eating disorder had episodes of binging before they started to diet. Dieting may prolong their recovery.
Depression – No one actually knows for sure if
depression is just an effect or is the main cause of binge eating disorder but it has been noted that fifty percent of sufferers have a history of depression or are depressed. Additionally many have low levels of serotonin which is a brain chemical responsible for feelings of happiness and wellbeing.
Genetics – Many researchers have come to the conclusion that genes may in some way be involved as it was found that many members of the same family suffered from binge eating.
Emotional Stress – Some studies have shown that some individuals who can’t handle emotions such as sadness, stress, anger etc or people who have a low self esteem often turn to overeating in order to cope and feel better. They binge eat in order to avoid these various emotions.
Signs that can indicate that a person has a binge eating disorder include eating very fast, eating unusually big portions and not stopping even if one is already stuffed. These signs can make it challenging to diagnose binge eating in children and teenagers since they tend to eat a lot more during growth spurts.
The dangers behind binge eating are the same as the effects of obesity :
high blood pressure,
high cholesterol,
type 2 diabetes,
heart disease and gallbladder problems. There is also a higher chance of
cancer, commonly cancer of the esophagus,
liver, pancreas, gallbladder, colon and rectum. In women, there is indication of higher rates of death because of cancers of the cervix, ovaries, breast and uterus, and in men cancers of the stomach and prostate.
Binge eating usually comes like a tidal wave. Suddenly, an enormous hunger attacks you and you feel helpless to fight it. It doesn't matter what causes a binge eating attack, it is always tough to face.
If you want to stop binge eating, you must break the process that got you there. Usually, you feel a strong craving, rush to the fridge or the fast food restaurant, eat without even thinking twice about it, and then feel ashamed and guilty after you’re done.
The Pause is a
technique by which you distance or separate the craving from the action you take to get the food. Considering that it’s hard to differentiate an emotional craving from true physical hunger, this is something you need to do whenever you are about to eat. Whenever you feel hunger, you need to pause and take some action that will take your mind off your hunger. Some people count to ten and breathe deeply. Others do some sit ups or go for a walk. You need to experiment and find what works for you. This article was submitted by the creator stop binge eating site which provides several free tips on binge eating recovery.
By Andrew B
