Live Life Team
Overeating frequently is called binge eating. This causes eating disorder. This is just a habit. People having this disorder feel taking large quantum of food even if they do not have appetite. At the same time, they also feel guilty of taking so much of food. Therefore, the cause and effect arise from the fundamental psychological issues.
Fast consumption of huge quantities is known as bulimia nervosa. Binge eating resembles it. People affected with bulimia nervosa purge out the food in an unnatural way. Binge eating persons do not purge, but feel guilty of their overeating. Binge eating is a psychological problem, also induced by seeing the results of overeating.
Due to binge eating, the blood glucose goes up suddenly, which induces insulin production to balance the glucose level in the blood. Therefore, the sudden rise of blood glucose comes down quickly, sending a false communication to the brain that more intake of food is needed to top up the level of glucose. This way, the binge-eating persons tend to take food further. This cycle continues, with the result that they eat food even when they are not hungry.
What are the causes of binge eating
There are no causes, but binge-eating people believe that it is a solution for satisfying their psychological urges. Binge eating causes overweight. It makes them feel guilty. They then attempt to become slim. When they fail in this endeavour, it results in reactive overeating. Certain jobs having a food environment may trigger over-eating. Stress can cause eating disorders. Certain events may cause this. However, eating disorders represent physically the personal difficulties of an individual.
What are the symptoms of binge eating
Weight gain is the primary symptom. The overweight results in high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and hence heart diseases. It can also lead to gall bladder diseases or diabetes. As the level of blood sugar changes quite often due to binge eating, they always crave for food. They may have stomach pain, intolerance to varying temperatures and headaches. The psychological symptoms are anxiety, depression, panic, inattentiveness and diffidence.
How binge eating is diagnosed
The doctor checks for uncontrollable inclination for overeating and the time taken for eating large quantities. The eating continues until they become uncomfortable. The doctor checks if the patient is inclined to eat even in the absence of hunger. Eating alone or hiding it from others can be a sign of binge eating. The guilty feeling after overeating also is a sign. People having these signs for a long period can have binge eating disorder.
How binge eating is treated
If you feel having eating disorder, you should seek help as soon as possible. The doctor will assess the condition and advise you on treatment procedure. However, dieting cannot be a solution, particularly if you are not obese, as it results in weakness. If you have over-weight, the doctor draw plans to bring it down. The relevant psychological problems will be dealt with first. This could give an everlasting effect for maintaining an optimum weight. The treatment plan can include behavioural therapy and psychological treatments. Sometimes the doctors use anti-depressant along with the above treatments.
Complete recovery is possible with the help of counselling and self-help programmes. Psychotherapy, together with planned diet with nutrients yield successful results.
