Definition

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is identified by repeated episodes of uncontrolled eating, often triggered by the availability of appealing foods, hunger after a period of controlled consumption, interpersonal issues, tension, or emotional distress. Sufferers often eat in secret, avoid social situations, and often experience temporary relief during eating, but then feel guilt, shame, even sadness afterwards. In contrast to Bulimia Nervosa, BED does not involve compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging), leading to a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity (BMI > 30).

 

Diagnostic Criteria

1. Recurrent binge eating episodes, are defined by the following two features:
   1. Consuming excessive food within a specific time frame (e.g., 2 hours)
   2. Feeling a loss of control over eating in general
2. Episodes include at least three of the following symptoms:
   1. Eating much faster than usual
   2. Eating to the point of discomfort
   3. Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry
   4. Eating alone to conceal the amount consumed out of shame
   5. Experiencing sadness, guilt, or self-disgust post-binge
3. Significant distress related to binge eating
4. Episodes occur on average at least once a week over a period of 3 months.
5. Episodes occur independently of compensatory measures like purging, and therefore not necessarily associated with a history of Bulimia Nervosa or Anorexia Nervosa.

Incidence

Binge Eating Disorders often begin in early adulthood or even later, with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 1.9%. Women are slightly more likely to be affected than men, with a gender ratio of 3:2.

 

Risk Factors

Triggers for the development of Binge Eating Disorder include:

• Previous dieting experiences or phases of either anorexic or bulimic nervosa
• Pronounced impulsivity, combined with a heightened need for reward, particularly in the form of food
• Internal factors such as stress, negative emotions, or difficulty managing these feelings in relation to food and hunger
• High stimulus-responsiveness often driven by the easy availability of food, advertising, and social influences

 

Associated Symptoms 

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is associated with a range of emotional and physical symptoms. In the progression of BED, many sufferers develop depressive moods and anxiety disorders. Physically, binge eating can disrupt normal sensations of fullness, leading to episodes of acute gastric dilation that carry a risk of gastric rupture. Long-term, the disorder frequently results in overweight or obesity, increasing the risk of comorbid conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, skeletal and musculoskeletal disorders, along with sleep apnea syndrome, and cancer.