Nutrition Therapy for
Binge Eating Disorder
What is Binge Eating?
What is Binge Eating?
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is an eating disorder characterized by eating larger than average amounts of foods in a discrete period of time without compensatory behaviors. BED is typically marked by feeling out-of-control during these periods. It may be interspersed with periods of restriction or dieting, followed by periods of bingeing.
People who experience BED may be driven by a complex set of biopsychosocial factors, including genetics, environment, and trauma/emotional distress among others. Feelings of guilt, shame, helplessness, fear, anxiety and depression often accompany binge-eating episodes. Many who experience BED do so in secret, hiding their behaviors from those closet to them. Though some might associate BED with weight, shape, size or appearance, these are not diagnostics markers or indicators of BED.
What are signs and symptoms of Binge Eating?
Signs of BED:
-Consuming an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
-A sense of lack of control during binge episodes
-Eating much more rapidly than normal
-Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
-Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
-Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating
-Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterwards
-Marked distress regarding binge eating is present
How can Amy help treat Binge Eating as an
Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian Nutritionist?
How can Amy help?
It can be difficult to pull yourself out of a binge cycle on your own, due to feeling isolated, ashamed, alone, scared, guilty, and fearful. Amy shows up to listen carefully and without judgment to all these feelings and concerns, while offering concrete meal planning strategies and other dietary interventions where appropriate and desired. Amy does not assume that everyone with binge eating behaviors comes from the same background, and welcomes ambivalence, resistance, and self-discovery as part of the clinical relationship.