What is Binge Eating Disorder (BED)?

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of consuming excessive amounts of food within a short period, often in private and involving high-calorie foods.

Individuals experience a loss of control during these episodes. BED is more common in females (4%) than males (2%) and is frequently triggered by stress, often serving as a coping mechanism for anxiety or depressive moods.

The diagnosis is based on four key features:

1. Eating rapidly to the point of discomfort.

2. Consuming large quantities of food even when not hungry.

3. Eating alone due to embarrassment.

4. Feeling guilt or distress after the binge.

For a diagnosis, binge episodes must occur at least once a week for three months and be associated with significant emotional distress. Unlike other eating disorders, BED does not involve compensatory behaviors such as purging or excessive exercise .

The disorder is more prevalent in individuals who are overweight (25%) compared to the general population, and severe obesity is a long-term consequence (3%) of untreated Binge Eating Disorder.

The level of severity may be increased to reflect other symptoms and the degree of functional disability:
1. Mild: 1-3 binge eating episodes per week.
2. Moderate: 4-7 binge eating episodes per week.
3 Severe: 8-13 binge eating episodes per week.
4. Extreme: 14 or more binge eating episodes per week.

Management includes psychotherapy approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), and self-help groups. Pharmacological treatments, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other medications, as well as physical exercise, can also play a role in treatment.