Binge Eating Disorders Paper

3. Main diagnostic criteria: Eating excessively within a period of time. Lack of control over eating during an episode (a binge). Eating rapidly, to the extent where the individual is “uncomfortably full,” even when the individual is not hungry. It will usually end with the individual feeling ashamed, disgusted at themselves after the episode.

Eating disorder is a term used to describe several psychological disorders characterized by abnormal eating habits. Some of the most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is probably the most well-known of these. A person suffering from anorexia nervosa will obsess over weight gain and show unusual anxiety related to weight gain. Depending upon the type (binge-eating/purging type or restricting type) a person will either consume food and then attempt to “purge”, a term used to describe a method of forced removal of food from the body such as self-induced vomiting, or they will restrict the amount of food consumed. In most cases the person will be under healthy weight and often see themselves as average weight or even overweight. In bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders the affected person will eat excessive amounts of food. People suffering from these diseases report feeling out of control during their binge eating episodes. In bulimia nervosa binge eating episodes are followed by some method of purging whereas in binge eating disorder they are not, although the person normally expresses feelings of guilt or embarrassment afterwards. People suffering from bulimia nervosa are usually average weight which can make detection difficult. Those with binge eating disorder are normally

Both Anorexia and Bulimia can be influenced and linked to binge eating disorders. Binge eating is associated with eating large amounts of food excessively during a short period of time and will experience loss of control. However, when binge eating people may be eating when they are not actually hungry to an extent when they feel distressed. Most commonly, the illness is a result of stress, anger and

Certain behaviors and emotional problems are more common in people with binge eating disorder. These include abusing alcohol, acting quickly without thinking (impulsive behavior), and not feeling in charge of themselves

Based on the information provided within the case study, Andrea Simpson meets the diagnostic criteria for Binge-Eating Disorder (307.51/F50.8). First, her excessive eating is described as “uncontrollable binge-eating” where she goes on sprees of over eating. These binge-eating moments would occur throughout the day and she would often eat, even after meals, until she felt physically uncomfortable. For example, she described a period of overeating as she often ate big breakfasts that would include several eggs with cheese, two to three slices of toast, and two large glasses of juice. This episodic overeating occurred for years and fits criteria A of B.E.D found within the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, 2013).

Binge eating is at present the most common eating disorders. But, many binge eaters do not recognize the condition as a life-threatening affliction, as I did. It is no surprise that people do not perceive binge eating as a disorder that needs a cure. Until recently, binge eating was

Binge eating is not only caused due to mental illness such as guilt, depression, embarrassment or displeasure. It might also be due to lack of food or craving for food. Few people who suffer from binge

It is now defined as “Recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control.… The person may have feelings of guilt, embarrassment, or disgust and may binge eat alone to hide the behavior”. It is important to note that there is a difference between over-eating and binge-eating, while over-eating is a recognizable problem for many people, “binge-eating is much less common, far more severe, and associated with significant physiological and psychological problems” (DSM 5). Binge Eating Disorder is similar to Bulimia Nervosa in that we see episodes of eating large amounts of food, the difference being that there is no purging after the binging episode. It is seen highly among obese patients, but, perhaps due to a reluctance to relate obesity with an eating disorder, it was not recognized as distinct from Bulimia Nervosa until the early 1990s (Gordon, 2000).

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a psychiatric condition characterized by the consumption of large quantities of food in a specific amount of time, and feeling out of control while eating. BED also involves feelings of guilt and shame after binging but is not accompanied by compensatory behaviors, such as purging or vomiting. Binge eating is described by “eating at a fast pace, eating until feeling uncomfortably full, eating when not feeling hungry, eating alone to hide the amount of food consumed, and feeling depressed and ashamed afterwards” (Binge). Consequently, BED may cause weight gain. However, not all obese people have BED; only “two-thirds of individuals with BED are obese” (Binge). Consuming excessive amounts of Calories and exceeding the recommended dietary allowance can lead to obesity and its associated health risks. Possible health issues include high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease, type II diabetes, gallbladder disease, hypertension, and stroke (Binge).

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a “severe, life-threatening and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress, or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (purging) to counter the binge eating” (NEDA 1). This disorder effects people of all genders, races, and ages. This disorder also happens to be the most common eating disorder among the people of the United States. Often times people get this disorder mixed up with another eating disorder called Bulimia. The difference is that with bulimia people purge after every meal they eat (by means of vomiting, excessive exercising or with the use of laxatives). But people with BED usually do not do unhealthy things, such as purging. Instead they feel guilty about the amount of food they ate and will not eat for an extended period of time, which can cause more binges to occur.

Some of the symptoms that will often show that a person is suffering from some form of eating disorder include:

Studies have shown that three percent of males and eight percent of females who were in high school said that they have either purged or took laxatives to lose weight (3). The symptoms of bulimia are tooth erosion, swallowing problems, esophagus problems, and acute stomach distress (“Eating Disorders”). However, binge eating disorder is completely opposite from anorexia and bulimia. Binge eating is when a person over eats in a short period of time. According to Susan Frissell and Paula Harney, two percent of the population suffers from binge eating disorder (27). Studies show that depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and stomach pain is found in many people who suffer from binge eating disorder (Elkins 45; Kittleson 4). Many people will develop binge eating disorder because they want to distract themselves from a painful event that has happened in their life (Frissell and Harney 27).

A second diagnosis for Kathie is Mild Binge Eating Disorder (BED) (F50.8). BED is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating in which the client eats a large amount of food in a two-hour period that most people would consume in a similar situation. There is sense of lack of control over the eating. The binge episodes one to three times a week for three months. The client must meet three of the five criteria listed in the DSM-V for BED which include eating more rapidly than normal, feeling uncomfortably full after binge eating (BE), eating when not hungry, feeling embarrassed, and feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after the binge eating episode. Additionally, there is a feeling of marked distress over the binge eating episode. There are no compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, using laxatives, medications or excessive exercise (APA, 2013). Kathie has been secretly struggling with an eating disorder (ED) for the last six months. She has meets 3 of the 5 criteria listed in the DSM-V including eating excessively until she feels uncomfortably full. After binge eating, she feels ashamed and helpless, which makes her more depressed. She feels a loss of control over her eating. She eats alone and feels guilty after binge

It is normal to overeat from time to time, but when it comes to binge eating, the urge is persistent and seemingly uncontrollable, and is usually accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt. Binge eating disorder, just like other mental disorders, is strongly linked to depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and stress. Persistent overeating leads to obesity and other serious health conditions.

Binge eating is defined as “consuming an amount of food in a discrete period of time (e.g. 2 hours) that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar amount of time under similar circumstances” (UpToDate). UpToDate surveyed adults in the United States and estimated that the lifetime prevalence of binging is 2.6%, and that the average prevalence in clinical samples (weight control programs) is 30%. The prevalence had no relationship to race, employment status, or marital status. Binging disorder is more common in women than men, probably due to the media’s preoccupation with weight loss and linking self-esteem to being thin. About half of the binge eaters of our country are overweight or obese,