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Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder occurs when a person has frequent episodes of eating very large amounts of food within a couple of hours (a binge). People who have binge eating disorder feel out of control and upset, guilty, or depressed about their binging.

People with binge eating disorder often eat when they are not hungry or eat for emotional reasons, and they may eat until they are painfully full. They often are secretive about their eating and eat alone because they are embarrassed about how much they eat. People with binge eating disorder may try to restrict their food intake, but unlike people with bulimia, they don't vomit or try other ways to get rid of calories after a binge.

Over time, many people who have binge eating disorder gain weight and have health problems related to being overweight. But some people who binge have a normal weight.

Treatment for binge eating disorder includes counseling, medicines, or a combination of the two. It often also includes treatment for related conditions, such as obesity, depression, or anxiety.

Last Revised: August 25, 2011

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD, MD - Family Medicine & W. Stewart Agras, MD - Psychiatry

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