Binge eating is just on its way to becoming a new disorder. Binge eating is typically eating a lot of food in a short span of time. We all do this occasionally, during weddings or festivals but binge eating regularly can come in category of a disorder. You may be suffering from binge eating disorder or BED if the pattern is repeating is short span of time, say once or twice a week. Though this has a direct impact one’s health but understanding the root cause and being self-aware is important. So, if you are one them who is staying up late in the night to hog onto those chips and wafers, watch out the patterns for BED.

  • Eating more than required
  • Eating until you are uncomfortably full
  • Binge eating 2-3 times a week
  • Feeling shameful about eating more
  • Hiding about the quantity you consume from your family/friends
  • Fluctuating weight, mostly gaining.
  • Isolating yourself in get-togethers to eat more.

So, what causes binge eating?

There are many psychological reasons associated with BED. People with BED react to a trigger and feel comfortable while they are eating their favorite food. Mostly people with BED have piles of stock at home, car and offices. The trigger can be stress, fear, anxiety or even underlying depression. It mostly looks normal for friends and family initially but later they can make a difference on the quantity consumed.

Role of a family /friends:

Mostly family/friends start accepting the quantity you consume. People with BED get subjected to body shaming but that does not stop them from eating. They continue to find ways to hide or isolate. Family mostly advices people with BED to start exercising so the body weight can be managed. However, people fail to understand the underlying cause.

The thing with BED is that it is a vicious cycle. Once you have BED and start gaining weight, you isolate yourself and continue with eating when triggered. This has huge impact not only in your physical well-being but at emotional level too. People with BED start feeling low self-esteem, lack of confidence, isolation and this can impact the overall quality of life.

Being healthy is not just being physically fit but also includes your psychological well-being. Depression and stress can be one of the causes of BED. There can be an emotional need or a failing career which triggers stress & anxiety resulting in binge eating. Identifying such patterns and being self-aware can be a start point to get over BED. Taking a professional help can make a difference in identifying triggers, help you be more self-aware and empower you to cope up.

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