Binge Eating

These are after and during photos of "Jami" Jami was a

Compulsive over-eater, she got help, so can you!

Compulsive overeating is the excessive consumption of food, often thousands of calories at time. The sufferer attempts to fill a void in his or her life by "filling the soul" with food. Bingeing is used as a release or response to negative situations. For this reason it is also called "Comfort Eating", although compulsive over eating can be far more serious then this. Like all food addiction, it has its links to other eating disorders, particularly bulimia nervosa, although sufferers reduce vomiting after a binge. Obviously, obesity is a problem but this is only a physical symptom, not a cause. The causes, like other eating disorders, are deep rooted and because of this compulsive over eating is now treated in a similar way to both anorexia and bulimia, i.e examining the psychological aspects of the disease finding your self eating when hurt or angry.  Binge-Eating is a newly recognized condition that probably affects millions of Americans.  People with binge-eating disorders frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling a loss of their control over their eating.  This disorder is different from binge-purge syndrome (bulimia nervosa) because people with binge-eating disorder usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives.

Signs and Symptoms:

• The Morning after a binge a person may experience symptoms like a hang-over which can get so extreme that the person cannot function normally
• Eat a lot with out being hungry
• Eating Quickly
• Discomfort after eating
• Eating alone because of embarrassment
• Feeling guilty and depressed after eating
• Rigid dieting and diet backlash
• Stopping activities because of embarrassment of size
• Preoccupation with weight, eating, and dieting
• Success and Failure attributed to weight

Physical Dangers:

• Weight changes
• Over weight
• Mobility problems
• Diabetes
• Hypertension, High blood pressure or always tense
• Heart problems

Behavioral Signs:

• Either planning to go on a diet, on a diet or has just broken one most of the time
• Talking about bingeing
• Describing foods as "good" or "bad"
• Hiding or eating alone
• Gaining weight but eating little in front of others
• Avoid social events

Psychological and Emotional Signs:

• Mood swings
• Denying "negative feelings
• Using food to cope with stress
• Blaming other problems on weight
• Feeling out of control with food
• Feelings of self-worth determined by weight and what is or is not eaten
• Weight gain is not explainable by medical conditions

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