Binge-Eating Disorder (BED)
Why can't I stop eating?
What is it?
Binge-Eating Disorder, or BED, is an eating disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often to the point of discomfort. Also can have a feeling of loss of control during a binge.
How do you know if you have Binge-Eating Disorder, or BED
Symptoms
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating. An episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:
- Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.
- A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).
- The binge eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following:
- 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 afterward.
- Marked distress regarding binge eating is present.
- The binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for 3 months.