What is binge eating disorder?

Similar to bulimia, someone who has experiences binge eating disorder will binge but do not compensate their behaviours. They experience the same emptiness that someone who has bulimia but will retain what they have eaten, which will usually make them overweight/obese. A binge eater may eat when feeling depressed and do so on a frequent basis. Someone who eats compulsively and constantly may consume at least 3000 calories or more a day. Both problems share the same emotional difficulties concurrent with anorexia and bulimia and are other ways of using food to cope.

What is happening?

Many contributing factors can influence our eating behaviours – typically, family being one of them.

As with other eating disorders shape and size can become the focus instead of the underlying factors. The extra weight carried by someone who binge/compulsively eats can act as a protective armour against the outside world and conceal feelings of weakness and vulnerability.