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Tuesday, 04 December 2007 |
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Binge eating has only recently been recognized as a legitimate eating disorder. While most people are familiar with bulimia as being characterized by binge eating and purging afterward, the pattern of bingeing without attempting to remove the food makes it an entirely different condition altogether. This factor is the main reason why many people make the mistake of thinking that it is not actually an eating disorder, but rather just a personal habit.
While those who have the eating disorder of bingeing are neither starving themselves nor putting themselves in the position of developing the health repercussions associated with vomiting and laxative use, it is a serious condition nevertheless. When a person habitually puts unreasonable amounts of food into his system on a regular basis, this will cause an unnecessary and very unhealthy strain on his body. In most cases, binge eating also leads to weight gain, often to quite a significant degree. Unfortunately, a person who binges rarely recognizes it as being a problem. Whether this is someone who secretly “stuffs” food in the middle of the night, or takes in an overload of food at regular intervals, he will almost certainly believe that he has full control over his eating habits; and, as is the case with most eating disorders, failing to recognize even the most abnormal eating patterns as being the “control issue” that they are is the heart of the problem. Most people do overeat at times. Bingeing is entirely different. It is not about occasionally going overboard, such as over-indulgence with a special treat or on a holiday; it is about a person having little or no control over what, when, and how much food he puts into his system. The relatively minor health repercussions, such as weight problems and physical discomfort, pale in comparison to the psychological problems which are clearly shown in the person who habitually binges. Yet it is one eating disorder which is most difficult to recognize as such, especially to the binger himself, because it is often too easy to dismiss as nothing more than a lifestyle habit or a personal preference. |
