BINGE-EATING DISORDER
Are you a foodie or is it something else?
"Stop staring that way, this girl. See, I’ve told you I’m a certified foodie!" As though doing this will emphasize her claim, Sofia places her hand on my lap as she says that, and then starts laughing with her mouth full. My eyes fall on her yellow acrylic nails, a sharp contrast to my dark skin. Images of yellow nails, Sofia’s high-pitched fake laughter, the sound of stainless steel spoon hitting ceramic plate and the ebbing whirring of the ceiling fan swirl in my head as I zone into my thoughts.
Sofia and I met earlier last year when we were allocated the same room. The first thing that struck me about her was her style of dressing. She always wore extra large t-shirts and loose jeans, with jackets and sneakers that were never quite her size — always, no matter the weather. They said that style was alte; I thought ‘ill-fitting’ was a better adjective. Still, I thought she was doing a great job of owning her style.
After staying together for a while, I kinda had this idea that her dress sense was probably a way to hide her body size. This idea was solidified every time she got offended that somebody called her "thin’’, every time she told me I didn’t know how blessed I was to "have body" as though she were just spirit, soul and skin, and every time she would heap her plate way more than she could eat, until the idea fully bloomed into knowing, a very certain knowledge.
I catch a movement in my peripheral vision and look up to see Sofia entering the kitchen. The sound of the door being closed and a click follow.
It’s been four days since I got back from my IT programme. I’ve noticed how much Sofia eats now and I’m beginning to get worried. She’s literally eating every other hour, but she still looks discontent and unsatiated after each meal. There’s something in her eyes — it looks like guilt or sadness, or a mixture of both. I have a feeling something is very wrong. Seeing a professional is what I think she needs, not the extra food she is sneaking to eat in the kitchen.
What is Binge-Eating Disorder (BED)?
The American Psychological Association defines an eating disorder as any disorder characterised primarily by a pathological disturbance of attitudes and behaviours related to food. The major eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Other eating-related disorders include pica (an appetite that craves what is unfit as food, such as chalk, ashes, coal, etc.) and rumination, usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood. Eating disorders affect several million people at any given time and most frequently develop during adolescence and young adulthood. Many of these disorders, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, occur more in women but can also occur at any age and affect any gender.
Binge-eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder that is characterised by recurrent episodes of binge eating. People with BED tend to eat way more than most people under similar circumstances would. They don’t necessarily derive pleasure from eating food; instead, they feel distressed in some way.
Before someone is said to have a binge-eating disorder, binge eating must have occurred 1-3 times a week for about 3 months. They, in most cases, gain a lot of weight which may lead to obesity. In the case of BED, people who have it do not make attempts not to gain weight — like purging, fasting or excessive exercise.
What are the Signs of A Binge-Eating Disorder?
A person is most likely to have a binge-eating disorder if:
- they eat, in a discrete period, an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar length of time under similar circumstances;
- they seem to lack control over eating during an episode of binge eating. An episode of binge eating can also be associated with at least three of the following: eating until feeling uncomfortably full, eating more rapidly than normal, eating lots of food even when not feeling hungry, eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating, and feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty after overeating.
What Causes Binge-Eating Disorder?
The exact causes are not known, but recent developments have shown that eating disorders are also caused by neurological conditions and not just social and cultural pressures. One is more likely to have this eating disorder if:
- anyone in their family has a history of eating disorders, depression, or substance misuse;
- their eating habits, body shape or weight have been highly criticised;
- they have anxiety or an obsessive personality.
How Can Binge-Eating Disorder Be Treated?
Most people with BED get better with the right treatment and support. Binge-eating disorder can be treated with guided self-help programmes, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and medication. Anti-depressants are usually given to deal with conditions like anxiety and depression. However, just this medication is not enough to treat BED — it has to be in combination with either a self-help programme or cognitive behavioural therapy.
Conclusion
Eating disorders are the psychiatric disorders with the leading mortality rate. While binge eating might not pose as much threat as its counterpart, anorexia, it is expedient that it is adequately diagnosed and treated. About 1.25% of adult women, 0.42% of adult men and 1.6% of teens aged 13 to 18 years old are affected and about 3.5% of women and 2.0% of men will have a binge eating disorder during their life. That makes BED more than three times more common than anorexia and bulimia combined. BED is also more common than breast cancer, HIV, and schizophrenia.
References
- https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders
- https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders
