Is there a symptom of binge eating disorder, a characteristic that enables a diagnosis and treatment?
The trouble is, at what point does overeating, which everyone whether fat or slim does on occasion, become a medical condition?
The medical profession is still debating this one.
Symptom of Binge Eating
However, we think it would be safe to say that people who demonstrate one or more of the following behaviours on a regular basis are binge eaters. They exhibit at least one symptom of binge eating disorder, or something that could turn into a disorder over time:
We had a client who wasn’t overweight, although she thought she was and she used to eat very large meals. She secretly vomited after meals, often after individual courses.
She was bulimic and binge eating and bulimia do sometimes occur together, although they are different conditions.
Some of the traits are similar, though.
Some bingers may try to control their binging and weight gain through vomiting, fasting for a period of time, exercising strenuously and excessively after binging.
All dangerous, compulsive ways to deal with the binging and to control any weight gain.
We can offer advice on low level binge eating and how to control and overcome it.
However, serious psychological conditions need medical help, which we can’t offer. Talk to your doctor or seek medical advice from a reputable website.
There’s no one symptom of binge eating disorder. It’s also easy to confuse and ‘medicalise’ overeating as an emotional response to food and other issues in your life with a symptom of binge eating disorder.
However, whether you’re a binger or have a full blown disorder, it needs addressing if you’re ever going to successfully lose weight and keep it off.