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Binge eating disorder (BED) is a form of eating disorder that’s characterized by repeated compulsive eating, often in private and away from regular mealtimes. This eating comes in short bursts, which are known as binge eating episodes. During these episodes, the person will eat a great deal of food in a short period. In many cases, they will eat beyond feeling full, or even past the point of feeling pain.
While it isn’t as well-publicized as other eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder is listed in the DSM-V (the national catalog of mental health disorders) as of 2013. It is the most common eating disorder in the United States, with as much as 3.2 percent of adults experiencing it at some time in their lives.
Because it’s not as well-known as other eating disorders, it might be hard to recognize when someone you love has the disorder. Here, we’ll outline 10 signs and symptoms of the disorder that might help identify binge eating disorder and indicate that there may be a need to consult an eating disorder treatment center.
1. Feeling a Lack of Control With Food
People with binge eating disorder often feel that the binge eating episodes are out of their control. They may say something like, “I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.” However, people with binge eating disorder often try to hide the problem, so it might not be so open.
2. Poor Body Image
Binge eating disorder is often a response to a poor body image, specifically, feeling overweight or fat (whether or not this is medically the case). This can lead to fasting or dieting, which is then broken by binge eating episodes.
3. Constipation, Diarrhea, and other GI Problems
Of course, everybody has to deal with these issues from time to time. However, the nature of the foods eaten during an episode (often fatty and salty “junk foods”) and the large amounts normally eaten can cause consistent gastrointestinal problems.
4. Hoarding Food and Missing Food
Binge eating disorder episodes are usually done in private, often late at night when no one is around. People with the disorder often hoard snacks in their room for later use. You might also notice that certain foods suddenly and repeatedly disappear from the fridge or pantry.
5. Increasing Social Isolation
It’s not uncommon for people with binge eating disorder to increasingly plan their lives around binge eating episodes. This might manifest as the person skipping a meal with friends because they plan to binge eat later, or avoid social situations that interfere with a binge eating episode.
6. Obesity
Because, unlike bulimia nervosa, BED does not involve a purge following an eating episode, it can lead to increased weight and obesity. This can have serious health consequences like sleep apnea, heart disease, high cholesterol, and more.
7. Frequent Dieting
Related to poor body image, people with BED are prone to trying several different diets, often fad diets that eliminate certain food groups. They may also misuse diet pills more often than not. Because of the binge eating episodes, the dieting may not result in weight loss.
8. Family History of Binge Eating Disorder
As with most mental health disorders, binge eating disorder happens more often in people whose family members have the disorder. It’s not clear whether this is genetic or due to children copying their parents’ behavior. Most likely it’s a combination of the two.
9. Finding Food Wrappers Hidden or in the Trash
If you suspect your loved one has binge eating disorder, look in the trash occasionally to see if there are food wrappers in bulk. This may not be daily, but if there are repeatedly lots of junk food wrappers hidden away or put in the trash, it’s a sign there has been a binge eating episode.
10. Feeling Guilt or Shame About Eating
If your loved one expresses a feeling of shame about how much they ate at a meal or indicated they feel guilty about snacking, it’s a sign they may be developing BED. The disorder almost always comes with these embarrassed feelings.
Look for Help From an Eating Disorder Treatment Center
BED can be dangerous, but there is no reason to lose hope. It’s a treatable disorder and many eating disorder treatment centers specialize in medical and therapeutic programs for BED. Do your research and reach out for help today, and you can beat BED.
Melissa Orshan Spann, PhD, LMHC, RTY 200, is Chief Clinical Officer at Monte Nido & Affiliates, overseeing the clinical operations and programming for over 50 programs across the U.S. Dr. Spann is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and clinical supervisor as well as an accomplished presenter and passionate clinician who has spent her career working in the eating disorder field in higher levels of care. She is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals where she serves on the national certification committee, supervision faculty, and is on the board of her local chapter. She received her doctoral degree from Drexel University, master’s degree from the University of Miami, and bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.