When talking about eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia are usually the first ones that come to mind. But these are just some of the disorders within the scope of these diseases. Among them, one of the quietest is binge eating disorder, which is characterized by having these episodes frequently.
Those who suffer from it not only occasionally overeat. According to the definition given by the Mayo Clinic, one of the main warning signs is when eating unusually large amounts of food in a given time. Regarding this, Eduardo Serrano, head of the Eating Disorders Unit at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, explains that patients "live with a feeling of loss of control over the amount of food they consume" during these episodes of binge eating, which is usually linked to feelings of guilt or shame for having eaten so much.
But what differentiates it from bulimia? In binge eating disorder, purging behaviors do not occur after overeating, such as inducing vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, or resorting to laxatives. "The patient who has bulimia compensates for these excesses," explains Serrano. Furthermore, he clarifies that binge eating "can be a symptom of any eating disorder. What indicates that we are dealing with a binge eating disorder is the frequency with which the episodes occur." According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association, for someone to be diagnosed with this disorder, binge eating must occur at least once a week for a minimum period of three months.
Binge eating disorder is one of the least talked about EDs, far below other disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. This is stated by nutritionist and influencer Laura Villanueva (@nutrirsindramas), who explains the reasons why this disease does not have as much visibility as others: "Binge eating disorder is the least diagnosed of the eating disorders and also the least validated, since "There is a belief that having a binge is a voluntary action that can be solved with willpower." Furthermore, she clarifies that "despite being the least talked about eating disorder, it is the one with the most prevalence among the population." Faced with this, Serrano estimates that this can affect between 1 and 3% of people, being the disorder most seen in adults, especially in those who suffer from obesity: "30% of patients with obesity suffer from a disorder due to binge eating, but they usually seek professional help to lose weight and don't know that they should also treat this eating disorder," he says.
Although a good portion of patients are overweight or obese, Villanueva and Serrano agree that someone with a healthy-looking body weight and build can also suffer from this disorder: "People often associate an ED with a specific body type, one with extreme thinness. But in reality only 6% of patients with an eating disorder have a thin body," explains Villanueva. Likewise, it is more common to see this disorder in young women, but this does not exempt men from suffering from it either: "There are twice as many women as men, but it is the ED that is most prevalent in men," states Serrano.
The eating disorder with the highest prevalence in the population has various risk factors. Among them, Villanueva mainly points to "the social pressures that are generated on people due to diet culture, which forces you to fit into a certain body type." In addition, Serrano points out certain psychological traits that can contribute to the development of this disorder, such as "having a perfectionist personality, suffering from episodes of emotional hunger or having suffered from overweight or obesity." Against this, a study published in the journal Obesity Research also indicated that other risk factors in obese patients include frequent weight changes, disregard for body shape, and psychiatric disorders.
For those who suffer from this disease, treatment must be approached from a multidisciplinary approach. Villanueva believes that this should be carried out "not only with a nutritionist, but also with the help of a psychologist and even a psychiatrist, if necessary." Serrano also agrees with this line of treatment, where it is necessary to "normalize food intake with dietary guidelines while treating the psychological part with adaptive strategies to regulate emotions other than through food." Faced with this, Villanueva also emphasizes the importance of having nutritional advice with "specialists focused on the treatment of EDs who help establish healthy eating patterns, without resorting to restrictive diets", always focused on the individual needs of each person. patient.
