Living with a Binge-Eating Disorder

Everyone at one time or another eats too much, but not everyone makes a habit of it. Some people cannot seem to help it. Some people will eat a bag of bon-bons and a package of chocolate chip cookies during a two hour movie, and then continue on with the same habit over and over through the day and night-every day and every night. Some of these people cannot even get up and get the food themselves because they are already super-obese and cannot even walk on their own.

It is estimated that approximately 0.7 to 4 percent of the population of the U.S. has a binge-eating disorder. Not everyone with the disorder is super-obese at this time. However, many of the super-obese people started out with a binge-eating disorder. This is not an article about super-obese people, but since I used to be one, this is a sensitive subject for me. I was 412 pounds at my heaviest weight, and I wanted to stop this behavior, but I didn't know how. I kept resolving to myself that I would stop, but my compulsion continued, just the same.

Binge-eating is a compulsion shared equally between children and adults. Women and girls are slightly more susceptible to being addicted to binge-eating behavior than men and boys, but it is unknown why the scales lean more toward the female gender of the population.

What are the signs and symptoms of binge-eating disorder?

First, we need to understand what binge eating is. Binging is eating a larger portion of food than is considered normal for most people. An episode of binging might 1-2 hours of eating. Some people binge for a whole day; it might take the form of grazing. You might not be sitting on the couch eating all day, but you might be grazing the whole day. I am a grazer. I will eat a bowl of oatmeal, and then in a bit I crave a banana. I'm not hungry, but I want the banana. Then I want some toast and jam. I talk myself into believing I am still eating breakfast, and these items I would normally have at breakfast, but I talk myself into believing I am eating 6 small meals a day. In actuality I might be eating 12 to 16 small meals a day. I'm not hungry when I binge, it is a compulsion. It is the same feeling when I used to want a cigarette. I have to have this fix to feel better. But I never feel better. What I feel and what most people feel when they binge-eat is guilt. We feel guilty that we let ourselves get out of control.

Not everyone who has a binge-eating disorder is overweight or obese. Some are, but some are not. This isn't to say that these people, who are not overweight at this time, won't be at a later date. The law of averages will catch up to us in a matter of time. Given enough time we all will reap the rewards of our efforts, and some of those rewards I would rather be without.

Most people who binge are not even hungry. They keep eating when they have already had the full signal. They just ignore the satiety signal the brain gives them and they keep right on eating. Many times after an episode of binging, the guilt is so much to deal with; the person resolves to go on a strict diet. Then they only perpetuate the problem and continue the habit of binging.

If you are a binge-eater you may have some of these signs and symptoms:

1.Eating until your stomach hurts

2.Consume large amounts of food during a binge

3.Eat faster than other people

4.You feel you are out of control with your eating habits

5.You diet without success

6.You are compelled to eat when you are not hungry

7.You usually eat all by yourself

8.You hide food in different rooms for easy access

9.You hide empty food containers so others will not notice your habit

10.You hate what you are doing but can't seem to stop

11.You feel depressed

12.You feel anxious, and you feel eating will make it better

Binge-eating disorder is being researched. The jury is still out on whether it is a physical disorder or a mental disorder. It is similar to bulimia, except that people with binge-eating disorder do not purge to get rid of the stomach contents. Some experts say that binge-eating disorder is not a psychological or mental disorder, but an obesity disorder. There isn't a whole lot of information at this time to know exactly what is this disorder and how is can be treated.

Many people with a binge-eating disorder are overly concerned with their body image, and they are most unhappy with their lives. They want to be free of this disorder, but don't know how.

What causes binge-eating disorder?

No one knows what exactly causes binge-eating disorder, but there may be many factors involved:

1.Some people may be genetically predisposed to the disorder. Their chemistry within the brain and digestive tract may be different than other people without this disorder.

2.There may be psychological, emotional and self-esteem issues that trigger these compulsive behaviors. They may eat to suppress their real feelings. For example: I might eat rather than to admit that I am upset with a family member because they hurt my feelings.

3.Some people with the disorder have been told by the media and society as a whole that they are socially unacceptable or sexually desirable because they are not-ribs sticking out-thin.

4.Some folks with an eating disorder, such as this, have had a history of being physically or sexually abused. It is easier to build a wall of fat around you to protect you, so you won't be hurt ever again. Unfortunately this is a self-made prison. I lived in this prison for a long time, until I started to tear it down.

How is binge-eating disorder diagnosed and treated?

Your doctor will probably do a history and physical, which will include taking your vital signs, and taking blood to check your thyroid and your metabolic functions. He/she may ask you some questions, and maybe even set up a psychological consultation with a psychologist. Your doctor may also order some tests to rule out heart disease or any other health problems.

People who are overweight are at risk of many diseases and conditions, which are:

Hypertension
Obesity
Type II diabetes
Stroke
Heart disease
High cholesterol
Joint pain
Osteoarthritis
Headache
Sleep apnea
Muscle pain
Gastric problems (GERD)
Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Drug dependence

Many of us, especially those with binge-eating disorders have their problems exacerbated by not getting out and moving our bodies. Our shame has kept us prisoner, and many of us do not even get out of the recliner long enough to get any exercise. We make our problems worse, by refusing to get up and live life to the fullest. It is time to put the shame away and get up and move! I'm talking not only to you, dear reader, but I am talking to myself too.

The first thing we need to do, when we have an eating disorder, such as binge-eating disorder is to admit we have the problem, and then move on. If your doctor suggests you need to go to psychotherapy or group therapy sessions for a while-go. Some forms of therapy do help you to manage your moods, as well as how to interact with other people.

Your doctor may order some medications for you. There is no medication especially designed for this eating disorder, but there is an antidepressant (Topamax), which is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which has been helpful in some people with this disorder.

Your physician may suggest that you attend a behavioral weight-loss program, which will focus on losing weight, while also addressing issues that trigger your eating binges. Women should not consume any less than 1200 calories per day and men should not consume less than 1500 calories per day. Trying to stay on a severely restricted calorie diet will only trigger more binge-eating.

Rather than trying to follow a strict diet that is doomed to fail because you can't stick to it for a lifetime, it is better to change your habits to include healthy eating habits on a daily basis. One change might be to stop eating alone. Wait to eat with the family, if you have one. Have healthy snacks on hand for yourself and your family. Your children learn their behaviors from you, so if you are scarfing down cokes and chips, do you expect your children to do anything differently?

Having an eating disorder simply put means that you are out of control. You and I need to take control of the situation at hand. If you believe you have an eating disorder, see your doctor and get help. Then follow through with modifying your behavior. Change the habits that made you fat in the first place. Learn what triggers you to want to binge. If you need treatment from a therapist, then do all you can to make you well. No one can make you well, but you. No one can make me well but me. We have to have the want-to's enough to make this happen for us. We need to take control of our lives. The doctor will do his/her part, and it is up to us to do the rest. Don't ever let yourself or anyone tell you that you have no control over this disorder. We have choices to make every day, and we can choose not to behave in this way.

Source: Mayo Clinic information page