Do You Binge?
Oct 26, 2007 In the United States, beinge eating is estimated at 4 million people. It is a type of emotional eating, having to do with feeling bad. Of those who binge, 40% are men and 60% are women. Being an eating disorder practiced in secret, it is linked to obesity and subjects are difficult to locate for interviews. 
Trisha Gura, Ph.D., the author of Lying In Weight, explains that bingeing is eating within a two-hour period, "an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period and under similar circumstances." Often feelings of uncontrolled eating regarding amount of food or type of food accompany the binge. Ms. Gura goes on to state that these episodes can be identified with three or more of the following markers:
1. Eating much more rapidly than normal
2. Eating until feeling uncomfortable full
3. Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
4. Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
5. Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
Practiced over time, the disorder becomes addictive. Binge eating often is found hand-in-hand with depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Find treatment.
GURA, TRISHA
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