He Binge eating disorder Is a disorder of eating behavior that is characterized by episodes of compulsive ingestion on a recurrent basis.
That is, a person suffering from binge eating disorder has an uncontrolled way of eating, which becomes a significant increase in weight.
The person with binge eating disorder loses control over their eating behavior and continues to ingest large amounts of food despite not having More hungry or even feeling full.
Thus, the origin of this eating disorder resides in a psychological problem, since the person loses control of his behavior, and although His body tells him that he no longer wants food, he continues to eat food in abundance.
If you have ever lived close to an eating disorder, whether in the first person or through family or friends, right now you are probably Asking a question This disorder called binge eating disorder is the same as the famous Bulimia nervosa ?
It is a very similar but different disorder since it differs mainly by the absence of compensatory behaviors.
In other words: in bulimia nervosa, there are also episodes of binge eating, which are eaten excessively, with great anxiety and powerlessness Stop ingesting large amounts of food.
However, once the binge episode is over, guilt and anxiety appear to have led to unwanted behavior, since the goal of a Person who suffers from bulimia is to reduce their weight due to the dislike of their physique and their body image.
This guilt and anxiety for having eaten a lot causes the person to perform compensatory behaviors, whether purgative, inducing vomiting or using Laxatives, or non-purgatives, such as practicing fasting or exercising in an extreme way to lose weight.
In contrast, binge eating disorder differs in the latter two aspects:
After bingeing no compensatory behavior is carried out.
As there is no compensatory behavior there is a greater weight gain produced by the episodes of binge eating.
Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
As we have just mentioned, people who suffer from binge eating disorder often suffer from weight gain, so they are usually overweight Or obesity.
However it is not always so. You can have a binge eating disorder and be at a normal weight.
Therefore, we will see which are the symptoms that best define the binge eating disorder, and that if they present, they are more than likely to be Suffering this problem.
Eat large amounts of food (binge eating).
Continue eating when you are satisfied.
Eating compulsively and at high speed during binge eating.
Eat to the point that the large amount of food eaten produces discomfort.
Eat normally high-calorie foods during binge eating.
Perform binge alone or even sneak frequently.
Carry out binges in a normal and habitual way, not on special occasions like parties or celebrations.
Binge eating can occur in different places (for example starting at a restaurant and continuing to eat at home).
Feeling that you yourself can not control your eating behavior and can not stop doing it.
Present anxiety states or stress situations due to ideas related to weight, silhouette, carrying out a diet, etc.
Use binge eating to reduce that anxiety.
Present feelings of guilt , Disgust, self-loathing or depression for having binge.
Having difficulty explaining and sharing with others feelings about binge eating.
Carry out frequent diets without success, winning and losing on several occasions (yo-yo diet).
Diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder
Although the symptoms we have just discussed are typical of binge eating disorder, how can we really know if a person suffers it or not?
And is that presenting or having presented any of these symptoms does not have to lead to an upset disorder.
Sometimes we can present an episode by binge in isolation, due to stress or personal problems, but not due to a psychological disorder.
For these symptoms to be part of a binge eating disorder, the following criteria must be met:
1- Recurrent episodes of binge eating are characterized by:
A. Eat in a period of less than two hours, an amount of food greater than that normally eaten by people in that same period (ie, greater than a copious meal or an abundant dinner).
B. During binge eating, the person has a total loss of control over his or her behavior: although he or she may not be able to stop eating or control the food they eat.
2- While bingeing occurs, the person has a minimum of the following indicators of loss of control:
A. Eat until you feel extremely full.
B. Eat lots of food when you are not hungry.
C. Eat large amounts of food throughout the day, without planning what you eat or when you eat.
D. Eating secretly from others by feeling ashamed of their own eating behavior.
E. Present feelings of depression, guilt or disgust right after eating.
3- Binge eating causes significant discomfort.
4- Binge eating is at least 2 times a week for a minimum of 6 months.
Characteristics of people with binge eating disorder
People who suffer from binge eating disorder are considered to be halfway between bulimia nervosa and those with obesity.
They often present high levels of dysphoria and psychological distress due to their problem, as well as a kind of perfectionist personality, meticulous,
Controller and with great concern to failure.
They tend to have a high predisposition to depression, so it is likely that they have previously suffered an episode of this type.
Likewise, they are also frequently present with panic attacks and anxiety.
They present alteration on their body image, overestimating their weight and their size, although in a much smaller way than it can happen in people with Anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
However, the fact that they are normally overweight or obese, produces dissatisfaction with their physical appearance and an overestimation Of their obesity (they look fatter than they actually are).
Complications of Binge Eating Disorder
In addition to the psychological discomfort that this disorder in the person who suffers, can also cause serious health problems.
These alterations are usually caused by obesity and include, among others:
- Mellitus diabetes.
- Hypertension.
- High cholesterol.
- Disorders of the spleen.
- Heart problems.
- Respiratory problems.
- Colon cancer.
- Disorders of menstruation.
- Reduced mobility.
- Sleep disorders .
How many people suffer?
Prevalence data are nowadays confused, since a few years ago this disorder is known as a psychopathological entity,
However, the data currently available indicates that it is the most common eating disorder among the population of the entire planet.
It is currently reported that this disorder affects approximately 2% of the world's population.
What is clear is that the prevalence of this disorder is very high among obese people, as more than 20% of people who present Obesity, also have binge eating disorder.
Thus, this disorder represents one of the major risk factors for obesity, since two out of ten obese individuals are due to Binge eating disorder.
Likewise, a higher prevalence of this problem has been identified in women than in men.
Causes of Binge Eating Disorder
It is not yet known what is the specific cause of this disorder, although it seems clear that there are several factors associated in its development.
Like other eating disorders, it seems clear that binge eating disorder results from the combination of both biological factors, Psychological and environmental.
As far as the psychological aspect is concerned, there seems to be a certain correlation between depression And the onset of this disorder.
And is that practically half of the people who suffer from binge eating disorder, present or have had some depressive episode.
However, the relationship between depression and binge eating disorder has not been extensively studied, and it is not known whether depressive states act Really as a cause for binge eating disorder.
Similarly, symptoms such as sadness, the anxiety , stress , Or other feelings of personal discontent, also seem to be very Related to this eating disorder.
Further, Impulsiveness And substance abuse appear to be factors that may act as precipitants of binge eating disorder.
All this would indicate to us that this disorder has a strong emotional component, reason why alterations of this type could favor its appearance.
However, an emotional disturbance does not explain much less the onset of this disorder, there seems to be many more factors at play.
The linking of certain genes with this pathology is currently being investigated, a fact that would indicate that binge eating disorder also contains a Hereditary component.
And is that this psychopathology is more frequent among those people who have relatives who have suffered previously.
Similarly, it seems that hormones like serotonin may also be involved in its development.
Finally, with regard to environmental factors, it has been noted that people who suffer from this disorder often come from families With bad eating habits.
They are often overeating families who place little emphasis on the importance of eating and a healthy lifestyle, not Value the nutritional component of food.
Thus, it seems that there is no single cause for this disorder, but it arises because of the conjunction of psychological, genetic and Environmental impacts.
Can it be prevented?
Although not all binge eating disorders can be prevented, the causes of this psychopathology that we have just commented on indicate that we can perform Certain actions to try not to appear.
Thus, receiving a good dietary education during childhood and adolescence, acquiring the value of nutrition and physical health, Appears to be an important factor in preventing it.
In the same way, to take care of in time and to treat in an appropriate way problems related to alterations of the mood, Self-esteem problems , or Other emotional problems, could also save us from ending up suffering from a binge eating disorder.
Treatment of binge eating disorder
Binge eating disorder is a serious pathology so if you suffer it is very important that you receive the appropriate treatment and do everything possible to Try to redirect your eating behavior.
At the pharmacological level, drugs such as Desipramine and the Imipramine (Tricyclic antidepressants) have proven to be effective in Decrease the frequency and duration of binge eating.
In the same way, Cognitive behavioral treatment (Psychotherapy), is often useful for improving eating patterns.
Psychological treatment should aim to modify and improve all areas of the person that do not function properly.
Thus, work should be done to improve fitness and reduce excess weight, through the establishment of adequate intake habits and Healthy physical activity.
Similarly, one should work directly on binge-eating to ensure that these do not appear, and perform anxiety management strategies and Impulsiveness .
Finally, it is very likely Cognitive restructuring On the body image, so that it is no longer distorted, and Work to achieve an emotional stability that allows binges not to reappear.
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References
- Caballo, V. (2011) Manual of psychopathology and psychological disorders. Madrid: Ed. Piramide
- DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2002). Barcelona: Masson
- Hawkins RC & CIement ~"Development and construct validation of a se- report report of binge eating trends." Addictive Behaviors, 1980,5,219-226.
- Kolotkin RL. Revis ES, KirkIey BG & Janick L."Binge eating in obesity: Associated MMPI eharaeteristics". Journal of Consciousness and Clinical Psychology, 1987,55,872-876.
- Spitzer RL, Devlin M, Walsh BT, Hasin D, Wing R, Marcus M, Stunkard A, Wadden T, Yanovski S, Agras S, Mitchell J & NonasC. «Bingeeatingdisorder: Amultisitefieldtria! Ofthediagnostic
- The Cleveland Clinic 1995-2006. Binge Eating Disorder. Vallejo, J. (2011). Introduction to psychopathology and psychiatry. (7ª Ed.) Barcelona: Masson.