Debunking the Myths Surrounding Binge Eating Disorder
Post by Izy Voth
When most people think about eating disorders, their mind typically goes to anorexia or bulimia. However, they may be surprised to learn that the most common eating disorder is Binge Eating Disorder (BED), affecting three times the number of people diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia combined. Despite impacting so many, BED often goes undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness and many misconceptions about the disorder. If we want to remove the stigma around BED and get people the treatment they need, we need to shed some light on what it actually is.
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge Eating Disorder was first officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) in 2013. The disorder is characterized by repeatedly eating a significantly large amount of food in a short period of time, at least once a week for more than three months. People with BED tend to binge in private, and often feel intense feelings of guilt and shame after binging episodes. Those with BED typically restrict their food intake after the episode out of shame and compensation, often creating a vicious cycle of binging then restricting. BED is not associated with harmful compensatory measures such as purging or over-exercising.
If you have binge eating disorder, you may:
Eat very quickly, past the point of feeling full
Feel out of control when eating
Eat until the point of significant physical discomfort
Binge alone, particularly because you feel ashamed about how much you’re eating
Feel depressed, guilty, and disgusted with yourself after eating
Hide or be secretive about the amount of food you consume
Someone with BED may withdraw from their friends and activities they used to enjoy, frequently experience low self-esteem, or be extremely concerned with their body shape and weight. BED will frequently co-occur with other mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD.
Misconceptions around Binge Eating Disorder
BED is underrepresented in ED treatment, as well as under-researched. Due to a lack of awareness and the lies of weight stigma and diet culture, there are many misconceptions around binge eating disorder. Binge Eating Disorder is not emotional eating, eating more food than the “suggested” or “typical” amount, or a person in a larger body eating satisfying amounts of food. Furthermore, people who suffer from BED don’t simply have a lack of will-power when it comes to food, and can’t overcome binge eating disorder through a restrictive diet. Binge eating disorder is a real psychological disorder that can have serious health consequences, and anyone of any body size, age, race, gender, and sexuality can have it. It can also occur as a survival response to trauma, or a self-soothing mechanism for anxiety. Additionally, it is important to emphasize that binge eating is not occasionally eating past the point of being comfortably full - everyone does this.
I have Binge Eating Disorder. How do I get treatment?
Just like all other eating disorder diagnoses, BED is treatable and recovery is possible! Treatment for BED often involves a multidisciplinary team that may include a physician, a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist, and a dietician. At the very least, treatment should involve a registered dietician and a qualified therapist who specialize in eating disorders. A treatment plan for BED should be focused on interrupting the restrict/binge cycle through consistent eating, while also addressing the underlying emotional issues connected with the binge eating. Effective treatment includes but it not limited to:
Breaking the restrict/binge cycle with consistent, satisfying meals and snacks throughout the day
Intentionally incorporating the foods you have previously associated with binge eating into regular meals and snacks
Building shame resilience by treating yourself with compassion after a binge, rather than self-loathing
Learning how to faithfully care for and positively connect with your body
If you’re a provider or a loved one caring for someone with BED, it is important to remember that binge eating disorder is not a matter of willpower. Just as you wouldn’t frame depression as a matter of willpower to cheer up, or anorexia as a matter of willpower to eat, someone suffering from binge eating disorder does not simply lack control.
The Bottom Line
Binge Eating Disorder unfortunately often goes untreated due to a lack of awareness and stigma. For far too long, people suffering from BED have been prescribed diet regimens and weight loss programs, further exacerbating the restriction that drives the binges, and causing more shame. Just like any other eating disorder, true healing from BED requires a safe place for people to heal, alongside caring providers who truly understand BED. In order to help those with binge eating disorder heal, we can do our part to dismantle diet culture and the misconceptions around this disorder affecting so many people.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Binge-Eating Disorder. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., pp. 350-353).
Brewerton, T. D., Perlman, M. M., Gavidia, I., Suro, G., Genet, J., & Bunnell, D. W. (2020). The association of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder with greater eating disorder and comorbid symptom severity in residential eating disorder treatment centers. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(12), 2061–2066.
National Eating Disorders Association (n.d.). Statistics and research on eating disorders. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders
Alliance for Eating Disorders (n.d.). Binge eating disorder. https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/binge-eating-disorder/
Oliver Pyatt Centers (n.d.). The history of binge eating disorder. https://www.oliverpyattcenters.com/binge-eating-disorder-history/
Rock Recovery. A Guide to Binge Eating Disorder Recovery (2023). A Guide to Binge Eating Disorder Recovery (squarespace.com)