TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH BINGE EATING DISORDER (BED)

In a similar way to bulimic patients, people with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) struggle with overeating. However, people suffering from BED differ from those experiencing bulimia by the lack of weight control using compensatory methods after eating food.

Overeating « crises » are characterized by taking an amount of food, in a limited period of time (less than about 2 hours), which exceeds the amount of food that another individual could eat in the same time and the same circumstances. Although we note the presence of shame and disgust as well as a great guilt related to the adopted behavior, people with BED do not resort to vomiting or to the use of laxatives to compensate for their bingeing. Most of the time, binge eating is the result of the abuse of dieting. Unlike people with bulimia, those with BED are usually obese where food is used to regulate one’s emotions and it can be reinforced in times of personal difficulties.

  • In people seeking for weight control treatment, 30% of them suffer from BED.
  • 2 out of 3 people with BED are obese.
  • In the US 3.5% of women and 2.0% of men suffer from BED.
  • Approximately 80% of people with BED suffer from comorbid anxiety disorders.