Home » Misc » Binge eating defined

Binge eating defined


Binge-eating disorder - Symptoms and causes

Overview

Binge-eating disorder is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food and feel unable to stop eating.

Almost everyone overeats on occasion, such as having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal. But for some people, excessive overeating that feels out of control and becomes a regular occurrence crosses the line to binge-eating disorder.

When you have binge-eating disorder, you may be embarrassed about overeating and vow to stop. But you feel such a compulsion that you can't resist the urges and continue binge eating. If you have binge-eating disorder, treatment can help.

Products & Services

  • Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition
  • Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition

Symptoms

Most people with binge-eating disorder are overweight or obese, but you may be at a normal weight. Behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:

  • Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over a two-hour period
  • Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control
  • Eating even when you're full or not hungry
  • Eating rapidly during binge episodes
  • Eating until you're uncomfortably full
  • Frequently eating alone or in secret
  • Feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty or upset about your eating
  • Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss

Unlike a person with bulimia, after a binge, you don't regularly compensate for extra calories eaten by vomiting, using laxatives or exercising excessively. You may try to diet or eat normal meals. But restricting your diet may simply lead to more binge eating.

The severity of binge-eating disorder is determined by how often episodes of bingeing occur during a week.

When to see a doctor

If you have any symptoms of binge-eating disorder, seek medical help as soon as possible. Binge-eating problems can vary in their course from short-lived to recurrent or they may persist for years if left untreated.

Talk to your medical care provider or a mental health professional about your binge-eating symptoms and feelings. If you're reluctant to seek treatment, talk to someone you trust about what you're going through. A friend, loved one, teacher or faith leader can help you take the first steps to successful treatment of binge-eating disorder.

Helping a loved one who has symptoms

A person with binge-eating disorder may become an expert at hiding behavior, making it hard for others to detect the problem. If you have a loved one you think may have symptoms of binge-eating disorder, have an open and honest discussion about your concerns.

Provide encouragement and support. Offer to help your loved one find a qualified medical care provider or mental health professional and make an appointment. You might even offer to go along.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic

Causes

The causes of binge-eating disorder are unknown. But genetics, biological factors, long-term dieting and psychological issues increase your risk.

Risk factors

Binge-eating disorder is more common in women than in men. Although people of any age can have binge-eating disorder, it often begins in the late teens or early 20s.

Factors that can increase your risk of developing binge-eating disorder include:

  • Family history. You're much more likely to have an eating disorder if your parents or siblings have (or had) an eating disorder. This may indicate that inherited genes increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.
  • Dieting. Many people with binge-eating disorder have a history of dieting. Dieting or restricting calories during the day may trigger an urge to binge eat, especially if you have symptoms of depression.
  • Psychological issues. Many people who have binge-eating disorder feel negatively about themselves and their skills and accomplishments. Triggers for bingeing can include stress, poor body self-image and the availability of preferred binge foods.

Complications

You may develop psychological and physical problems related to binge eating.

Complications that may be caused by binge-eating disorder include:

  • Poor quality of life
  • Problems functioning at work, with your personal life or in social situations
  • Social isolation
  • Obesity
  • Medical conditions related to obesity, such as joint problems, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and some sleep-related breathing disorders

Psychiatric disorders that are often linked with binge-eating disorder include:

  • Depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Anxiety
  • Substance use disorders

Prevention

Although there's no sure way to prevent binge-eating disorder, if you have symptoms of binge eating, seek professional help. Your medical care provider can advise you on where to get help.

If you think a friend or loved one has a binge-eating problem, steer her or him toward healthier behavior and professional treatment before the situation worsens. If you have a child:

  • Foster and reinforce a healthy body image, regardless of body shape or size
  • Discuss any concerns with your child's primary care provider, who may be in a good position to identify early indicators of an eating disorder and help prevent its development

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Related

Associated Procedures

Products & Services

Binge eating disorder | Office on Women's Health

Binge eating disorder is the most common type of eating disorder in the United States. People with binge eating disorder often feel out of control and eat a large amount of food at one time (called a binge). Unlike other eating disorders, people who have binge eating disorder do not throw up the food or exercise too much. Binge eating disorder is a serious health problem, but people with binge eating disorder can get better with treatment.

What is binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder is a type of eating disorder. Eating disorders are mental health problems that cause extreme and dangerous eating behaviors. These extreme eating behaviors cause other serious health problems and sometimes death. Some eating disorders also involve extreme exercise.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, women with binge eating disorder feel out of control and eat too much (binge), at least once a week for at least three months. During binges women with binge eating disorder usually eat faster than normal, eat until they are uncomfortable, eat when they are not physically hungry, and feel embarrassed, disgusted, or depressed because of the binges. Women with this type of eating disorder may be overweight or obese.

What is the difference between binge eating disorder and other eating disorders?

Women with eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder, bulimia, and anorexia, have a mental health condition that affects how they eat, and sometimes how they exercise. These eating disorders threaten their health.

Unlike people with anorexia or bulimia, people with binge eating disorder do not throw up their food, exercise a lot, or starve themselves. People with binge eating disorder are often overweight or obese. But not all people with binge eating disorder are overweight, and being overweight does not always mean you have binge eating disorder.

It is possible to have more than one eating disorder in your lifetime. Regardless of what type of eating disorder you may have, you can get better with treatment.

Who is at risk for binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder affects more than 3% of women in the United States. More than half of people with binge eating disorder are women.1

Binge eating disorder affects women of all races and ethnicities. It is the most common eating disorder among Hispanic, Asian-American, and African-American women.2,3,4

Some women may be more at risk for binge eating disorder.

  • Women and girls who diet often are 12 times more likely to binge eat than women and girls who do not diet.5
  • Binge eating disorder affects more young and middle-aged women than older women. On average, women develop binge eating disorder in their early to mid-20s.6 But eating disorders are happening more often in older women. In one study, 13% of American women over 50 had signs of an eating disorder.7

What are the symptoms of binge eating disorder?

It can be difficult to tell whether someone has binge eating disorder. Many women with binge eating disorder hide their behavior because they are embarrassed.  

You may have binge eating disorder if, for at least once a week over the past three months, you have binged. Binge eating disorder means you have at least three of these symptoms while binging:8

  • Eating faster than normal
  • Eating until uncomfortably full
  • Eating large amounts of food when not hungry
  • Eating alone because of embarrassment
  • Feeling disgusted, depressed, or guilty afterward

People with binge eating disorder may also have other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.

What causes binge eating disorder?

Researchers are not sure exactly what causes binge eating disorder and other eating disorders. Researchers are finding that eating disorders might happen because of a complex combination of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors may be the cause. This combination includes having specific genes, a person's biology, body image and self-esteem, social experiences, family health history, and sometimes other mental health illnesses.

Studies suggest that people with binge eating disorder may use overeating as a way to deal with anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety, or stress.9,10

Researchers are studying how changing levels of brain chemicals may affect eating habits. Neuroimaging, or pictures of the brain, may lead to a better understanding of binge eating disorder.11

Learn more about current research and read peer-reviewed articles on binge eating disorder.

How does binge eating disorder affect a woman's health?

Many, but not all, women with binge eating disorder are overweight or obese. Obesity raises your risk for many serious health problems:12

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Certain types of cancer, including breast, endometrial (a type of uterine cancer), colorectal, kidney, esophageal, pancreatic, thyroid, and gallbladder cancer 13
  • Problems with your menstrual cycle, including preventing ovulation, which can make it harder to get pregnant

People with binge eating disorder often have other serious mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, or problems with substance use. These problems can seriously affect a woman's everyday life and can be treated.

How is binge eating disorder diagnosed?

Your doctor or nurse will ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history. It may be difficult to talk to a doctor or nurse about secret eating behaviors. But doctors and nurses want to help you be healthy. Being honest about your eating behaviors with a doctor or nurse is a good way to ask for help.

Your doctor may also do blood, urine, or other tests for other health problems, such as heart problems or gallbladder disease, that can be caused by binge eating disorder.

How is binge eating disorder treated?

Your doctor may refer you to a team of doctors, nutritionists, and therapists who will work to help you get better.

Treatment plans may include one or more of the following:

  • Psychotherapy. Sometimes called "talk therapy," psychotherapy is counseling to help you change any harmful thoughts or behaviors. This therapy may focus on the importance of talking about your feelings and how they affect what you do. For example, you might talk about how stress triggers a binge. You may work one-on-one with a therapist or in a group with others who have binge eating disorder.
  • Nutritional counseling. A registered dietitian can help you eat in a healthier way.
  • Medicine, such as appetite suppressants or antidepressants prescribed by a doctor. Antidepressants may help some girls and women with binge eating disorder who also have anxiety or depression.

Most girls and women do get better with treatment and are able to eat in healthy ways again.14 Some may get better after the first treatment. Others get well but may relapse and need treatment again.

How does binge eating disorder affect pregnancy?

Binge eating disorder can cause problems getting pregnant and during pregnancy, including having an infant that is large-for-gestational-age.15 Pregnancy can also trigger binge eating disorder.

Obesity raises the level of the hormone estrogen in your body. Higher levels of estrogen can stop you from ovulating, or releasing an egg from the ovary. This can make it more difficult to get pregnant. However, if you do not want to have children right now and have sex, you should use birth control.

Overweight or obesity may also cause problems during pregnancy. Overweight and obesity raises your risk for:

  • Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy) and preeclampsia (high blood pressure and kidney problems during pregnancy). If not controlled, both problems can threaten the life of the mother and the baby.
  • Gestational diabetes (diabetes that starts during pregnancy). If not controlled, gestational diabetes can cause you to have a large baby. This raises your risk for a C-section.16

Pregnancy can raise the risk for binge eating disorder in women who are at higher risk for eating disorders. In one study, almost half of the women with binge eating disorder got the condition during pregnancy. The research suggests that binge eating during pregnancy may be caused by:17

  • Worry over pregnancy weight gain. Women may binge because they feel a loss of control over their bodies because of the pregnancy weight.
  • Greater stress during pregnancy
  • Depression
  • History of smoking and alcohol abuse
  • Lack of social support

After pregnancy, postpartum depression and weight from pregnancy can trigger binge eating disorder in women with a history of binge eating. Women with binge eating disorder before pregnancy often gain more weight during pregnancy than women without an eating disorder. Researchers think that weight gain during pregnancy may cause some women who had binge eating disorder before pregnancy to binge eat during pregnancy.18

If I had an eating disorder in the past, can I still get pregnant?

Yes. Women who have recovered from binge eating disorder, are at a healthy weight, and have normal menstrual cycles have a better chance of getting pregnant and having a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Tell your doctor if you had an eating disorder in the past and are trying to become pregnant.

If I take medicine to treat binge eating disorder, can I breastfeed my baby?

Maybe. Some medicines used to treat binge eating disorder can pass through breastmilk. Certain antidepressants can be used safely during breastfeeding.

Talk to your doctor to find out what medicine works best for you. Learn more about medicines and breastfeeding in our Breastfeeding section. You can also enter a medicine into the LactMed® database to find out if the medicine passes through breastmilk and about any possible side effects for your nursing baby.

Did we answer your question about binge eating disorder?

For more information about binge eating disorder, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:

  • MentalHealth.gov
  • National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS
    Phone Number: 866-615-6464
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Referral Helpline
    Phone Number: 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727)
  • Weight-control Information Network, NIDDK, NIH, HHS
    Phone Number: 877-946-4627
  • American Psychological Association
    Phone Number: 800-374-2721
  • National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
    Phone Number: 800-931-2237
  • The Obesity Society
    Phone Number: 301-563-6526

Sources

  1. Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H.G., Jr., Kessler, R.C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry; 61: 348-58.
  2. Nicdao, E.G., Hong, S., Takeuchi, D.T. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders among Asian Americans: results from the National Latino and Asian American Study. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 40: S22-S26.
  3. Alegria, M., Woo, M., Cao, Z., Torres, M., Meng, X.-l., Streigel-Moore, R. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in Latinos in the United States. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 40: S15-S21.
  4. Marques, L., Alegria, M., Becker, A.E., Chen, C., Fang, A., Chosak, A., et al. (2011). Comparative Prevalence, Correlates of Impairment, and Service Utilization for Eating Disorders across U.S. Ethnic Groups: Implications for Reducing Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Access for Eating Disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 44(5): 412-420.
  5. Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2005). I'm, Like, SO Fat!; Helping Your Teen Make Healthy Choices about Eating and Exercise in a Weight-Obsessed World. New York: Guilford Press.
  6. Berkman, N. D., Brownley, K. A., Peat, C. M., et al. (2015). Management and Outcomes of Binge-Eating Disorder. Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, No. 160. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US), Rockville , MD.
  7. Gagne, D.A., Von Holle, A., Brownley, K.A., Runfola, C.D., Hofmeier, S., Branch, K.E., et al. (2012). Eating disorder symptoms and weight and shape concerns in a large web-based convenience sample of women ages 50 and above: Results of the gender and body image (GABI) study. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 45(7): 832-844.
  8. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2013.
  9. Joke, V., Vansteenkiste, M. , Soenens, B., Boone, L., Mouratidis, A. (2013). Daily ups and downs in women's binge eating symptoms: The role of basic psychological needs, general self-control, and emotional eating. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology; 32(3): 335-61.
  10. Kelly, N.R., Lydecker, J.A., Mazzeo, S.E. (2012). Positive cognitive coping strategies and binge eating in college women. Eating Behaviors; 13(3): 289-92.
  11. Rikani, A.A., Choudhry, Z., Choudhry, A.M., Ikram, H., Asghar, M.W., Kajal, D., et al. (2013). A critique of the literature on etiology of eating disorders. Annals of Neurosciences; 20(4): 157-161.
  12. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2013). What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity?
  13. National Cancer Institute. (2012). Obesity and Cancer Risk.
  14. Fairburn, C. G., Cooper, Z., Doll, H. A., et al. (2000). The natural course of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder in young women. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 57(7), 659–665.
  15. Charbonneau, K.D., Seabrook, J.A. (2019). Adverse Birth Outcomes Associated with Types of Eating Disorders: A Review. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research; 80(3): 131-136.
  16. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2012). NIH Obesity Research Featured in HBO's The Weight of the Nation.
  17. Berg, C.K., Torgersen, L., Von Holle, A., Hamer, A., Bulik, C.M., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2011). Factors associated with binge eating disorder in pregnancy. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 44(2): 124-133.
  18. Knoph, C., Von Holle, A., Zerwas, S., Torgersen, L., Tambs, K., et al. (2013). Course and predictors of maternal eating disorders in the postpartum period. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 46(4): 355-368.

All material contained on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and maybe copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated.

Page last updated: February 22, 2022

Overuse of gadgets has led children to overeat

Compulsive overeating is a mental illness

one of the

most common eating disorders in the United States. People suffering from it regularly consume large amounts of food in a short period of time. The disease is accompanied by loss of self-control and feelings of guilt and shame. People who overeat often

develop

obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They may also suffer from insomnia, feel lonely, and be more prone to anxiety than others.

The unequivocal causes of the development of the disease have not yet been determined. Researchers consider various factors, including the use of gadgets: phones, tablets, TVs. With the development of technology and the growth of their availability, the indicators of the so-called “screen time” are increasing. Former scientists found an association between excessive “consumption” of gadgets and depression, obesity and sleep problems.

Over 11,000 children aged 9 to 10 participated in the 2016-2019 Brain Development and Health Study. Participants in the study, together with their parents, filled out questionnaires about their daily use of gadgets and eating habits. In 2020, an international team of scientists analyzed this data and found a pattern between excessive screen time and compulsive overeating diagnosed in children over the next year. nine0003

The average time spent using gadgets among the respondents was four hours, children spent most of their time watching TV shows, movies and videos, and the least part was spent on social networks. If in the original study 0.7% of children suffered from compulsive overeating, then after a year their number increased to 1.1%. The scientists concluded that the use of social networks, correspondence and watching TV most often increase the likelihood of developing this disease.

Researchers have characterized a possible link between illness and excess screen time. Firstly, the use of gadgets dulls the feeling of fullness while eating and does not allow him to stop in time, which leads to overeating. Second, children who are prone to device overuse may be more prone to the same type of relationship with food. Finally, the images of “ideal” bodies, which are often broadcast in advertising and social networks, can cause negative in relation to one's own body.

Scientists, recognizing certain limitations of their analysis, propose to continue research on this issue in other age groups and using more objective means of assessment. The authors of the study recommend that medical professionals and professional pediatric organizations take into account the results and develop recommendations regarding the optimal use of gadgets.

The results of the study can be useful to parents who have the opportunity to influence the use of gadgets by their children. In the era of a pandemic, when children are forced to spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen and are limited in physical activity, this study looks especially relevant. nine0003

Earlier media “Krysha” talked about another eating disorder – anorexia nervosa. German scientists found that it causes damage to brain cells, and their colleagues from Australia and Finland suggested using fermented foods in treatment.

Eating disorder by the type of overeating in the form of "binge drinking"

What is the most common eating disorder? No, not anorexia, and not even bulimia. The most common deviation is an eating disorder of the type of overeating in the form of "binge drinking". “Drinking” does not relate very well to eating, but “zaed” somehow sounds clumsy, in my opinion. In this text, we will probably call it from the English term "binj", which actually means "binge". nine0003

In fact, the disorder is a combination of 2 phenomena
• eating an unusually large amount of food for a given person in a short period of time (binj)
• loss of control over this process

After such a binj, a person experiences a characteristic feeling of guilt and self-loathing.

A typical example: you bought a cake for the arrival of a friend, drink some tea. A friend called and said she wasn't coming. You sat down to drink tea alone and slowly grinded the whole cake. Well, here it is piece by piece. And then they engaged in self-abasement, “well, why did I eat it right away and I don’t even fit into jeans anymore,” etc. Instead of a cake, you can eat a couple of kilos of sweets, salted nuts, cabbage rolls, pizza, dumplings, sandwiches, in general, anything. However, basically, some kind of food that is pleasant for the individual, which he loves, and which brings him a sense of satisfaction, is used. For the most part, this is something sweet, but often all sorts of “snacks” such as nuts, chips, crackers are used. Probably the most Russian binj is seeds. I don’t know how it is with the feeling of guilt after a shabby bucket, but on the subject of stopping, you need not weak willpower. nine0003

Unlike bulimia, a binge eater does not engage in compensatory behavior after a binge episode that will "remove" excess food or calories. This behavior can be of 2 types. The first is cleansing (vomiting, diuretics, laxatives or enemas. The second is non-cleansing (excessive exercise or a strict half-starved diet). Yes, a person with binge eating does not torture himself with all sorts of procedures, he tortures himself with guilt and disgust for his figure.

While the history of bulimia as a disorder began in the 1980s, binge eating was first defined by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994. In 2007, Harvard University published the first study of 3,000 people on the disorder. It turned out that the symptoms of binge eating are found in 3.5% of the population. For comparison, anorexia occurs in 0.6%, bulimia 1%.

How often should you overeat and is one cake enough to diagnose the disorder? It is understood that such belly celebrations should occur regularly at least 2 times a week for 6 months. However, there are other patterns of behavior. Binge eating may occur less frequently, in response to stress, or binge eating may be a normal part of life. For example, eating cookies or a bucket of ice cream in front of the TV. At the same time, a person eats and hates himself. Sometimes binges happen in a certain season. In some people, they, like seasonal depression, appear in autumn and winter. Still quite often, especially against the background of stress or personal problems, binji can follow one after another throughout the day. I saw food, I ate it. nine0003

What does "more than usual amount of food" mean? Here the point is not only in volume, but rather in the inability to control the process. For someone, binj will mean 2 cookies in place of one. Are you on a diet? You plan to have 1 cookie with unsweetened tea and everything is calculated in calories. We sat down at the table, took tea and a pack of cookies. And then you "carried", and you ate 2 cookies. After that, a feeling of shame and disgust for your shameful weakness falls upon you. This was also a binj.

The problem with binge eating isn't just about bad emotions. For obvious reasons, it usually translates into weight gain, and weight gain…not just oversized clothing. Yes, being overweight is a road to various diseases.

Indeed, binge eating is more common among obese people. Patients seeking the help of surgeons for various "stomach closure" procedures, the disorder occurs in 49%.

Despite the fact that people with the disorder seem to restrict themselves in food, and seem to be watching the diet, during the period of "binge" they eat more than they avoid in the period between binge drinking. Add stress, which in itself can lead to an increase in fat reserves, and the result is obvious. Although it must be borne in mind that not all those suffering from the disorder are overweight. Some of them are within normal limits, but would like to lose a couple of other kilograms. nine0003

In general, returning to the behavior of people suffering from this disorder, binji are not an absolute surprise for them. If they are not feeling very well mentally, they buy the food they use for the binj and stock up so they can chew when the need arises.

Why do people do it? There are 2 reasons:

• Deprivation - the wrong mode of eating with skipping breakfast or lunch. Naturally, when they feel hungry, some snacks are intercepted to kill their appetite. Another experience on rodents showed that irregular nutrition leads to the fact that more high-calorie foods begin to be preferred, due to the fact that the absence of a regimen is stress for the body, and it seeks to make strategic reserves. You never know when they will feed you next time. Moreover, nature rewards us better with dopamine and endorphins for more high-calorie food. Our genetics did not have time to adapt to the modern food industry. Of course, if you count on one mammoth per month, then a person should be encouraged to eat the most high-calorie parts of prey in order to survive the period before the next mammoth. Thus, when a high-calorie “snack” appears in the field of vision of a person who has missed breakfast, the brain commands him to “load on it”, and gives out dopamine sweets after the meal is over. nine0003

• Substitutive - food is used to replace emotions that seem too painful for a person. It can be frustration, anger, sadness, etc.

A probable pattern for the development of the disorder has been deduced. The majority of those suffering from it show signs of perfectionism. At the same time, in their achievement of the ideal, they are guided not by their own standards, but by the standards of others. When, after setting the next task, they discover their failure (it may be imaginary, i.e., in fact, this is not a collapse, but a temporary failure that requires correction of goals and plans), they develop a state of clear self-awareness, but on the negative side. Those. they suddenly clearly understand and perceive their negative component of personality, and attribute it to their entire personality. This is a rather intense unpleasant experience that the person is trying to avoid. To eat something, especially to nibble or chew monotonously, means to narrow your attention to a specific task - take-bite-chewed-swallowed. This artificially narrowed attention distracts from recognizing oneself from the negative side. In principle, there is an opinion that playing games or shopping in the same way narrows attention to a specific task, and removes sad thoughts. nine0003

Moreover, remember that “eating” is perceived by the brain as a useful activity, therefore, against the background of rather unpleasant feelings after eating, a person receives a charge of dopamine and endorphin. A person after a meal is quite strongly let go of all sorts of bad thoughts and he feels relaxed. The brain immediately cuts through the chip in order to obtain dopamine and endorphin "springs" and takes the method into service. Next time, if something goes wrong, he will use this approach. nine0003

Well, we won’t talk about how eating cookies affects the solution of the problem as a whole. Therefore, we can easily imagine that the situation of the self-image of a loser will pop up in the brain with rather enviable constancy.

Moreover, it should be noted that the question of their figure for such people is quite acute. “Looking good” is exactly what people around you often evaluate in you. In addition, the figure is for many in our time a sign of success, happiness and love of others. From morning to evening, with a special approach to the choice of information (and people with eating disorders usually have such a selective approach, they are hypersensitive to words relating to body image), you can constantly hear that “fat people are hated, thin people are loved.” At the same time, how to look good, and what it means to be thin, can always be found on TV and in magazines. Often the images shown there do not correspond to the capabilities of the body of an average woman. All this predisposes to the development of a negative image of one's own body. That is, when you already feel fat, and still crunch a kilo of sweets, this is seen as a disgusting weakness and a crime against yourself. And who does that? Use your ability to assess your bad sides quite clearly. .. Yes! That's what losers do! That you felt crappy enough and are you frustrated? Your brain has a recipe for what to do to make you feel better. nine0003

It is quite interesting that directly during the consumption of food a person develops a state of narrowed consciousness, when he is not very receptive to anything other than the process. What’s more, many eaters describe their mealtimes as almost completely forgotten. It remains only as a fact that they say yes, they ate. I remember how I started, I remember how I chewed, and how the food ended. Those. in the process of binj everything is so automatic that it is quite difficult to catch yourself in the process and say no. Others begin to eat and think what disgusting pigs they are, that they are getting drunk again. This is how they eat and think. Those. one realizes one’s unwillingness to eat, in principle, but the process of eating still goes on by itself. Naturally, when in the process of binja one reflects on one's own insignificance, this is an excellent reserve for a longer and deeper meal.

Learn more