5 BINGE EATING QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Can't stop binge eating? Same here! Let's get to the root of the problem once and for all.

Photo by Artem Labunsky on Unsplash

Here are 5 Binge Eating Questions I cover in this blog post:

• What is binge eating?

• Why do we binge eat?

• Is there a genetic component to binge eating?

• Is there a connection between binge eating and emotional eating?

• What can I do to prevent binge eating?

What Is Binge Eating?

According to The National Eating Disorder Information Centre, Binge-eating disorder is characterized by recurring episodes of binge eating. It is not the same as overeating because overeating is consuming more food than your body needs at a given time whereas binge eating is marked by psychological distress.

There are warning signs for binge eating disorder. For instance if you notice changes in your body weight, dress in layers of clothing to disguise your body shape even when not appropriate for the weather like in summer, eat in secret or feel guilt and anxiety surrounding eating food then you may be experiencing binge-eating disorder.

I experience all of the above. I drastically gained weight in the span of a month, I often wear layers to hide my extra weight and I feel guilty for overeating yet can't seem to stop due to emotional distress. If I feel anxious or sad about something I immediately go to food almost subconsciously. It feels as if I have no control.

Why Do We Binge Eat?

It probably started when you were young without you even realizing it. People cope with negative emotions differently and you probably started coping with your emotions by eating food. That's what happened to me.

I vividly remember when I was in middle school my parents had glucose powder in the kitchen. Seventeen years later and I still remember my thought process right before eating it. It went something like this: "I am overweight. I know eating this will make me gain more weight. I don't care. I need this now."

I probably remember that instant because now as an adult I go back and truly believe that is one of the many instances where it started for me. I grew up as a loner child. I barely had friends in school, I was quiet and shy. Terribly, annoyingly shy.

Reasons why we binge eat varies from person-to-person but generally people binge eating due to genetics, depression (could be undiagnosed as well), low self-esteem (HELLO 12-year old Sajeta, this one is you. Yup that WAS me. But now why?), stress and anxiety (ouu this answers why I struggle with binge eating now), and dieting.

According to The Recovery Village, Self-esteem, body image and eating disorders are all often closely linked to one another. In many cases, low self-esteem or poor body image trigger feelings of guilt and shame that people cope with by binge eating.

Stress and anxiety as a root to binge eating is pretty simple. There are various means to self destruction people use to cope with stress. For some it's porn addiction or sex. For others it is cigarettes, booze or weed. Then here we are the binge eaters, food. Food is our coping mechanism for stress and anxiety.

Why people binge eat after dieting is pretty much also self explanatory. Imagine dieting and restricting yourself too much from eating food that eventually you say "FUCK IT I WANT IT ALL!" Low self-esteem was definitely why as a child I struggled with binge eating.

Is There A Genetic Component To Binge Eating?

Researchers have identified a gene (CYFIP2) associated with binge eating. So yes there is a genetic risk factor for binge eating disorder making you more prone to binge eating.

There have been research hinting at a connection between binge eating disorder, hormone irregularities and genetic mutations specific to food addiction. A Journal of Psychiatric Research study even revealed a link between low levels of serotonin and binge eating behavior.

If you want to know more about binge eating and genetics read The Binge Eating Genetics Initiative (BEGIN): study protocol

Is There A Connection Between Binge Eating & Emotional Eating?

Yes, there is a connection. Emotional eating contributes to binge eating episodes, and people who are diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED) have a significantly greater tendency to eat in response to negative circumstances.

Some studies even suggest girls and women are at higher risk for emotional eating and therefore at higher risk for eating disorders. Cortisol which is termed as “the stress hormone” due to excess cortisol being secreted during times of both physical or psychological stress promotes weight gain and influences where we deposit body fat. Some studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area. If you can't get rid of that stubborn muffin top then this may be why.

A part of our stress response involves increased appetite because the brain believes we need the extra fuel from food to respond to stress, our the fight-or-flight response. This results in cravings for comfort foods. This day and age modern civilization has brought it upon ourselves with chronic short-term stressors like job, school, family drama, crime and abuse making us at risk for having a chronically high cortisol level contributing to emotional eating patterns which then results in binge eating.

What Can I Do To Prevent Binge Eating?

My plan is to deal with it by focusing on the root of the problem -- stressors. Let's deal with stress first in order to deal with emotional eating and binge eating. Observe what you do. How do you response to different emotions? Some people eat when they are happy. That is something you CAN control. However, are you eating when unhappy? Subconsciously eating to cope? Write that down in a journal. Okay I know this is too much work. Who has the time for this? I won't do this either so let's move on.

What I decided I will make time for is meal planning. Cook meals ahead of time and always surround yourself with healthy snacks. This way you have no other choice but to munch on a bag of carrots during times of stress as opposed to the bag of chips. Don't even walk toward the snack aisle at supermarkets.

Next, I am going to implement a proper meditation routine to cope with stress and anxiety. Old habits die hard and forming new ones are next to impossible. I have been saying I will meditate for years now. Let's try. Let's start with 2 minutes and then 5 and then once it really becomes a habit then 10 minutes a day. I believe Jay Shetty and Deepak Chopra meditate for hours a day so 5 minutes is nothing. WE CAN DO IT!

The last advice I have for you. What's helped me so far from being that insecure shy girl to what I am now is talking to myself, weightlifting and spending a lot of time alone. The happiest years of my life were when I was super into weightlifting and spent a lot of time alone. I only recently started talking to myself to retrain my thoughts. I still work on this every day. Whenever you are about to binge-eat due to emotional eating just drink water. Chug that water.