Binge Eating Disorder is characterized as recurrent episodes of binge eating that, on average, occur at least 2 days a week for 6 months. Persons with binge eating disorder feel the compulsion to eat large amounts of food and often feel out of control to stop. Even when very full, these individuals will continue to eat till to the point of nausea and extreme gastrointestinal distress.
Most people with this eating disorder are overweight and a great number of them are obese, as the compensatory behaviors seen in bulimia (i.e. laxative abuse, vomiting, etc.) are not present in binge eating disorder. Similar to other eating disorders, shame, isolation, and depression often plague the individual.
Complications of Binge Eating Disorder
• Diabetes, type 2
• Dental decay
• Gallbladder complications
• Sleep apnea
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Pain in muscles
• High blood pressure and cholesterol
• Heart disease