Are You Aware of Binge Eating? Ways to Stop Binge Eating

Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder, which mainly affects middle-aged women. What is binge eating? It is an eating disorder in which eating habits of people become out-of-control. After that, they feel ashamed and guilty, start intense dieting and eventually move back to more binging. Therefore, this cyclic process goes on.

Causes of Binges and Overeating

According to researchers, there are multiple reasons behind this eating disorder. Various factors may be biological, genetic, environmental or lifestyle.

• Genetic & biological factors: BED is more common in people having a family history of eating disorders. However, genetic and biological factors do not work alone. When genetics combine with other factors (emotional, mental or physical), it gives birth to BED.
•  Mental disorders and symptoms: It is a chain process. Anxiety and stress lead to binge eating, and binge eating becomes the cause of depression and anxiety. Both of them work hand in hand.
• Weight stigma: People suffering from this eating disorder feel ashamed and want the perfect weight and figure. They also have to face bullying, weight discrimination and weight stigma experiences.
• Dieting: BED sufferers are in a hurry to lose weight. For this, they go with crash diet plans. Instead of helping them to lose weight, it triggers an intense urge of eating in them. A long term diet plan will be more suitable for people suffering from this dilemma.
• Trauma: Many people turned towards BED since their childhood. They find their comfort food a shelter, which ultimately led them towards this disorder.

Binge Eating Disorder Symptoms

The most prominent symptoms include:

• Uncontrollable eating urge
• Emotional disturbance on overeating
• The temptation of eating without being hungry
• Feeling depressed about overeating

Despite these, there are some other physical and mental symptoms too. Like,

• Increased chances of weight gain
• Risk of heart disease and blood pressure
• Stress and depression
• Insomnia
• Digestive issues

 

How to Stop Binge Eating

1. Professional Help

Indeed, professional help means a lot for people suffering from BED. Many forms of professional therapies are there, like family-based and CBT. However, Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT is the best one among all.

This therapy let people confront their emotional barriers and issues that drove them towards overeating. The process is of 3 stages.

• Cognitive
• Behavioral
• Maintenance

In case of failure of standard therapies, the second option is medical interventions.

2. Stop Bothering about Weight Loss

Perspectives mean a lot. Experts think that instead of bothering about weight loss, one needs to focus on healthy weight maintenance. A dietitian or nutritionist can make a manageable as well as healthy diet plan for you. Strict diet plans only revert people to binge eating.

3. Stress Reduction

As a matter of fact, stress and the inability to deal with difficult situations are the two biggest reasons behind BED. It triggers the need for comfort, and people find comfort in foods. The best way is to find your comfort zone in any other activity, not food. It could also include exercise, reading, writing, painting, meditation or nature hunt.

4. Try Relaxing Techniques

Relaxing techniques are the best way to cope with stress. They include yoga, meditation and deep breathing. Regular periods of these relaxing exercises reduce the onset of binge eating and provide various health benefits.

Multiple meditation programs are also in accord with the awareness of BED. It helps people to make healthy food choices, controlling emotions and increasing self-control. 

5. Support of your Loved Ones

Undoubtedly, family and peer support help a lot in this matter. It always feels good to have someone to buckle you up. Your loved one can be your comfort zone when you are in distress. In this manner, you need not worry about binge eating.

 

In conclusion, BED is something that needs self-motivation for complete treatment. A person having strong will power can eventually get rid of this.