Could You be Suffering from Binge Eating Disorder?

Binge eating disorder is also one of the leading causes of obesity in the U.S. It is estimated that 25 percent of the people in this nation who are obese have BED, and 75 percent of those with the disorder are obese. With the obesity epidemic and related health issues, as well as increasing concern about its burdens to society and the health care industry, BED has taken a significant toll on many lives.

BED is characterized by a variety of symptoms and can have life-threatening consequences. Behavioral and emotional signs that individuals with the disorder typically exhibit include consuming large amounts of food in a single sitting, eating rapidly, frequent eating alone, at night, or in secret, hoarding food and hiding empty food containers; feeling depressed, disgusted, or shameful about eating; feeling out of control of the behaviors, and spending many hours a day preoccupied with thoughts about food or how to lose weight.

Serious physical health complications can be a result of long term bingeing or compulsive/emotional eating as well. Studies indicate that many binge/compulsive/emotional eaters have physical complications that are can be associated with obesity, but  are also a  result of chronic dieting with many weight gains and weight losses over a lifetime.  Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease (including heart failure as a result of weight cycling), gall bladder disease, cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, joint and muscle pain, gastrointestinal problems, depression, anxiety, ADD, and OCD are all associated with BED.

“The best way to deal with BED is a team approach to treatment,” says Pershing. “Our program offers all the components necessary for recovery, including individual therapy, nutrition counseling, support groups, movement classes, and a variety of other services. In our Annapolis office, we are thrilled to have people who are the caliber of Rebecca on our team, with years of experience treating these issues.”

“Recovery needs to be about learning how to care for our whole selves, including making eating and movement sources of joy and satisfaction,” Pershing notes.  ”For most people, their typical ideas about eating and exercise are anything but joyful. They are either “on” or “off” the wagon. Bodywise is about getting rid of the “wagon” altogether.”

For more information, please visit www.thebodywiseprogram.com or call toll free (888) 371-0671.

Thanks Amy Pershing, LMSW, ACSW for your informative article.