Binge eating disorder is known as a type of eating disorder characterized by continual binge eating without any regular compensatory measures to prevent the bouts of binge eating. Binge eating is now considered an eating disorder similar to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Binge Eating Disorder Statistics
1. Binge eating disorder statistics indicate that binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder. As much as 2 percent of adults show symptoms of the disorder.
2. At least 2.8 percent of adults will struggle with binge eating disorder throughout their lifetime.
3. As much as 43 percent of individuals will seek some form of treatment for their binge eating disorder.
4. An estimated 5.2 percent of individuals suffering from Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (binge eating disorder’s former classification) will die from health complications.
5. As much as 3.5 percent of women will struggle with binge eating disorder.
6. As much as 1 percent of men will struggle with binge eating disorder.
7. 10 to 15 percent of mildly obese people in commercial weight loss or self-help programs have binge eating disorder.
8. Binge eating disorder is more common in people with severe cases of obesity.
9. Obese people with binge eating disorder become overweight at a younger age than people without the disorder.
10. Obese people with binge eating disorder may have frequent episodes of quickly gaining, losing and regaining weight.
11. Binge eating disorder affects women more than men. As much as 60 percent struggling with binge eating disorder are women, while 40 percent are male.
12. Binge eating disorder is prevalent across an estimated range of 1 to 5 percent of the general population.
13. People with binge eating disorder are often at normal or heavier weights.
14. Those with binge eating disorder often report having a lower quality of life than people without the disorder.
The Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
Although binge eating disorder has characteristics similar to comparable eating disorders, people with binge eating disorder don’t typically purge the food they consume. Many people with binge eating disorder are often overweight and/or obese, since these individuals typically don’t follow any compensatory mechanisms to rid themselves of the excessive calories and, eventually, fat.
The symptoms associated with binge eating disorder typically include:
1. Frequent episodes of consuming a large amount of food, often without participating in behaviors to curb weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting (purging).
2. Feeling out of control during the binge eating episodes.
3. Feeling a strong sense of guilt and/or shame when binge eating.
4. Eating when not hungry, eating to the point of discomfort, eating alone due to shame or other eating-related behaviors that exhibit the sufferer’s loss of control.
The health complications of binge eating disorder often stem from its associated symptoms, due to their inherent effect on the body. In fact, many of the health risks and complications from binge eating disorder are associated with the obesity directly caused by having binge eating disorder for a prolonged period of time.
Some of the health complication of binge eating disorder includes high blood pressure, heart disease, gallbladder disease, musculoskeletal issues, diabetes mellitus and higher cholesterol levels.
The Classification of Binge Eating Disorder
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (version DSM-V), binge eating disorder is a form of eating disorder. The following criteria, however, are taken from the DSM-IV version of the manual, when the disorder was classified as an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
The criteria is as follows:
1. Each binge eating episode consists of eating, in a separate period of time, any amount of food considered much larger than what most people would consume under normal circumstances. The episodes are also accompanied by a sense of losing control over their eating.
2. Each binge eating episode consists of eating as much as 5,000 to 15,000 calories in one sitting.
3. Each binge eating episode happens at least twice a week for as much as 6 months on average.
4. The binge eating isn’t associated with any compensatory behaviors or doesn’t occur during the course of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa.
5. The person is gravely worried about their binge eating episodes.
People with binge eating disorder also must exhibit the following symptoms for a formal diagnosis:
1. Feels disgusted, guilty or depressed after a binge eating episode.
2. Eats an incredibly large amount of food in a single session.
3. Eats much faster during a binge eating episode than during normal eating episodes.
4. Eats until they feel physically uncomfortable and nauseated.
5. Engages in eating episodes when depressed, bored and/or not hungry.
6. Eats alone during normal eating episodes, often out of embarrassment about food.
Since binge eating disorder is associated with feeling emotions like guilt and shame, many assume it forms out of depression and/or anxiety. Interestingly enough, binge eating disorder doesn’t have a single cause.
The Causes of Binge Eating Disorder
As mentioned, binge eating disorder doesn’t have a single cause. The exact cause of the disorder is still unknown. Researchers of binge eating disorder, however, are starting to understand how certain factors may lead to its development in people.
Binge eating disorder is considered to result from a combination of different factors, including those originating from environmental, psychological and biological sources.
The disorder has also been linked to other mental health disorders. As much as half of people with binge eating disorder have history with depression, though the link between both disorders is still unclear at this time.
Sometimes, binge eating disorder develops in people from families with a history of the disorder. This has led to the theory of binge eating disorder having a genetic factor in its development.
Some researchers are exploring the potential abnormal function of chemical messages that reach the brain, specifically those that regulate appetite like leptin and ghrelin, in addition to proteins that help regulate the body’s metabolism and blood sugar (like adiponectin).
Binge eating disorder may also develop in people who start to overeat as a response to extreme stress and/or anxiety. It also develops in people who may overeat out of a response to medication stifling their regular appetite.
Since binge eating disorder is a relatively new disorder, there’s a distinct lack of proper statistics regarding the condition. Fortunately, there are statistics about the condition that have been already published. The statistics in the following section are taken from research trials, studies and other resources about binge eating disorder.
Understanding Binge Eating
Due to the typically compulsive nature of binge eating episodes, binge eating disorder received an official classification as an eating disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (version DSM-V). In version DSM-IV, binge eating disorder was categorized under Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified before the 2013 reclassification.
The disorder is best characterized by the insatiable cravings that occur during any time of the day or night. The binge eating sessions associated with quelling those insatiable cravings often make the sufferer feel shame, disgust, anxiety or depression. It’s also associated with having a ‘sense of losing control over one’s self.’ Binge eating is often associated with using food to deal with stress, a lower self-esteem and dysfunctional thinking.
As mentioned, binge eating disorder is said to affect women more than men, though it’s also been found in people of a wide variety of ages. Many statistics relating to binge eating disorder have found that people typically wait for more than 10 years to get treatment for binge eating disorder.