As many as 2 to 5 percent of Americans have a binge-eating disorder.
Binge-eating disorder typically involves recurrent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference when compared to bulimia is that binge-eaters do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder tend to be overweight.
Binge-eating disorder is associated with feelings of self-disgust and shame, and these feelings often trigger additional binge-eating, creating a cycle of binge eating.
Symptoms of Binge-Eating Disorder
Binge-eating episodes are associated with the following symptoms:
- excessive eating in a fixed timeframe
- eating much more rapidly than normal
- eating until feeling uncomfortably full
- eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
- eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
- feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
- marked distress about the binge-eating behavior
MORE INFORMATION
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