Binge Eating Disorder: Symptoms and Diagnosis

Bulimia

Binge Eating Disorder: Symptoms and Diagnosis

Binge Eating is Primarily a Psychological Problem

Binge eating disorder can be extremely difficult to diagnose and study. It is usually practiced in secret, and can be disguised reasonably easily. There are no unique physical symptoms. For this reason, binge eating often goes undetected for many years.

Behavioral Symptoms

More than physical symptoms, behavior is what defines binge eating disorder. A diagnosis involves an examination of the sufferer’s own body image and attitudes to food. Binge eaters tend to have a distorted body image, viewing themselves as monstrously fat and ugly. A fixation on external appearances can often compound this problem.

Furthermore, a sufferer will tend to have many rules about food, including calorie-counting régimes and lists of forbidden foods. Often, a single transgression of the ‘rules’ is all that it takes to plunge a sufferer into another binge. Whether dieting or bingeing, every thought revolves around food.

Most sufferers are deeply ashamed of their bingeing, and this leads to secrecy about food in general. Sufferers tend to feel that they are all alone with their problem, and would be mortified to find that anyone knew. Relationships often suffer, as food becomes a preoccupation. Many no longer attend social situations where food will be present, for fear that they will lose control and embarrass themselves.

Depression and feelings of loneliness characterize many binge eaters. Bingeing, particularly in conjunction with dieting, produces imbalances of certain vital chemicals in the body. In particular, serotonin levels in the brain may be affected. Lower serotonin levels result in lower perceived well-being, interrupted sleep and ironically, may even negatively affect attitudes towards food. Clearly, this chemical imbalance leads to progressively deeper depression.

Lapses in concentration are common amongst sufferers. Many report having whole days where they can think of nothing but food. Performance at work or school nearly always suffers as a result. Again, extreme dieting around binges can exacerbate the problem, as blood glucose levels fluctuate wildly.

Finally, binge eaters tend to struggle with a range of other compulsive, often self-destructive habits. In a study of women with binge eating disorder, certain habits were seen far more often than in the general population. Excessive drinking, smoking and nail biting were especially common.

Physical Symptoms

It is a common misconception that all sufferers of binge eating disorder are overweight. In fact, the proportion is about fifty percent. However, sufferers do tend to eat slightly more than the average person, even outside of a binge.

The most common physical complaint is a feeling of having eaten far too much. Many sufferers report feeling breathless after a binge, as the food in the stomach presses against the diaphragm. In extreme cases, the stomach can literally become so full that the stomach wall tears, accompanied by intense pain. In this case, it is essential to seek medical attention.