Binge Eating Help!

Hi, Laurie!  I'm 32, 5'4, and 172 lbs.  I'd like to lose a minimum of 30 lbs to get to a healthy weight.  I walk 5 miles a day Monday-Friday and am slowly losing weight.  However, I can't stop binge eating.  I eat a sensible breakfast in the morning and then 20 minutes later, I eat again.  I consume 1,000+ calories and then feel guilty and full all day until dinner.  I feel like I'm sabotaging myself.  I've tried to stop, think, drink water, but I still just can't stop eating!   I feel like I'm stuck on a binge/starve/guilt cycle!  Any advice?   Sheila R.

Dear Sheila,

First of all, congratulations on taking the steps towards a healthier lifestyle that will get you to a healthier weight. Keeping up with the walking is a big commitment and you should be proud!

Now, regarding the binge eating: I could ask you all sorts of questions about that behavior:
- Have you had a major life change recently?
- Is this binge eating brand new for you?
- Are you getting enough sleep?

But all good intentions aside, the way you've described what's going on sounds characteristic of disordered eating. I don't want to alarm you, and I certainly cannot diagnose an eating disorder. 

My guess is, though, that your mind is so crowded with "what can I eat/when can I eat/I shouldn't have that/I can't resist it/ I shouldn't have eaten that/ I feel so awful/ I've failed today/ I'll start again tomorrow" that you aren't able to experience your life and all the pleasures you should be able to enjoy.

If that sounds familiar, rest assured, you are not alone! The National Eating Disorders Association estimates millions of Americans suffer from some type of eating disorder, including binge eating disorder.

The good news is there are kind and understanding counselors who deal specifically with eating disorders (including anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, and binge eating disorder--also called BED). Counselors who treat people suffering with obsessive thoughts about food, eating, and diet really know what you are going through and can help.

The experts at NEDA can help you find someone in your area who can address this behavior and help you get back to a normal and happy life! Click on the NEDA link above and call to get started right now.
And do write back to let me know how you are doing.

Could I Have Binge Eating Disorder?

I am an overweight woman in my 50's. I don't usually overeat at meals, but several times a week in the evenings I will just take out leftovers, packages of cookies, chips, whatever is around and sit and eat until I am exhausted. I can follow a diet all day long, but I am just overcome with the need to stuff myself at night when I start thinking about things in my life that went wrong. It feels like a 'drug' that helps relax me and I just can't stop. I don't think it's about the food, but I don't know what to try to stop myself. If I have an eating disorder what is the treatment for this? Do you have suggestions for how I can stop? -- anonymous

Hi,
You do have some of the classic signs of binge eating disorder, a condition that affects between 1 million and 2 million Americans, but only a health professional can diagnose you for certain. Many people who have this disorder keep it hidden from their friends and family for obvious reasons. It's shameful and embarrassing to know that food has control over you, but there certainly are treatments.

One important thing to realize is that the condition is not about food. Going on a diet will not help, and can just further frustrate the person who is suffering from binge eating disorder. Some of the characteristics of binge eaters include feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, sadness, and even boredom. And, yes, the binge does act like a 'drug' to overcome these feelings.

More common in women, and often seen between the ages of 40 and 60, binge eaters have reported that eating large amounts of food within a short time period (about an hour) creates the sensation of "stuffing down negative feelings". Many report that they avoid other more common expressions of emotions such as crying or yelling. Seen as "unfeminine" to raise their voice, they turn to food when they are angry; thinking of crying as a weakness, they eat to cover their feelings of sadness or frustration.

The end result is often obesity (and the co-existing health problems that occur when excess weight is present), low self-esteem, feelings of being out of control, and even malnutrition (because the large amounts of food consumed rarely contribute nutrients but are often high in salt, fat, and sugar).

The best course of treatment is carried out with a certified mental health counselor such as a licensed social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist, many of whom specialize in eating disorders such as binge eating disorder. Your therapist may or may not prescribe medications (namely for depression) as well. The key to overcoming this disorder is finding ways to deal with negative emotions that are predominant in your life, developing other ways to handle stress, and learning to have a healthy relationship with food.

I encourage you to take the first step to get yourself the help you need--and deserve--and make the call to find a health professional whose practice includes treating those suffering from eating disorders.