I’ve never been anorexic or bulimic, so any writing I would do on those eating disorders could only be based on research. I have had issues with binge eating though, and if you are also a binge eater, I can completely relate to you.
Binge eating is eating with a feeling of being out of control, and eating so much food in one sitting that you go beyond the point of comfort in your body. You stuff yourself with food, and you may or may not have been hungry when you first started eating.
There was a study recently published that was done on the eating disorders of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. It was the first national survey of its kind, and was conducted by researchers at the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. What they found is that binge eating affects more people (both women and men) during their lifetime than either anorexia or bulimia.
Besides the issue of overweight and obesity, binge eating can also lead to stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, and type II diabetes. According to McLean Hospital, they suggest either medications or therapy to treat binge eating disorder. I have a different thought on this.
I believe that the food you eat directly contributes to whether or not you binge. I know this to be 100% true for me. When I eat healthy, whole foods, I don’t binge. I eat when I’m hungry, and stop when I’m full. I enjoy the food I eat, but I don’t eat “out of control”. However, if I eat food that contains sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, grease, oils, tasty additives, all of those ingredients in fast food and processed, pre-packaged food, then I eat uncontrollably. The #1 trigger food for me is anything that contains sugar.
Perhaps it’s only me, but at least for myself, when I stay away from those types of foods then I am just fine, I don’t binge. This doesn’t mean that therapy would not be a good thing (I think it can do wonders if you’re open to it) for anyone with a binge eating disorder, but I do disagree with medicating. In my opinion, medication does nothing for the symptom, it only covers it up in an attempt to provide a cure.
To learn more about the national survey, please read McLean Hospital’s press release. You can also find their FAQ on binge eating disorders here.
