AUTHOR: DR DAMANG
Definition & Facts
Binge eating is when you eat a large amount of food in a short amount of time and feel you can’t control what or how much you are eating. If you binge eat regularly—at least once a week for 3 months—and feel you cannot control your eating, you may have binge eating disorder.
Symptoms & Causes
If you have binge eating disorder, you may eat a large amount of food in a short amount of time and feel you can’t control what or how much you are eating. No one knows for sure what causes binge eating disorder. Like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder may result from a mix of factors related to your genes, your thoughts and feelings—particularly about your eating habits or weight—and social issues.
Diagnosis & Treatment
A mental health professional can talk with you about psychological symptoms and eating patterns to find out if you have binge eating disorder. Treatment for binge eating disorder includes talk therapy, behavioral weight loss treatment, and medicine. A nutritional counselor trained in disordered eating can help you adopt healthier eating patterns.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support basic and clinical research into many diseases and conditions.
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