A few days ago, Helena posted something about a disorder called binge-eating. I found it quite interesting so I read up a bit more about it.
It takes a combination of things to develop an eating disorder — including a person’s genes, emotions, and behaviors (such as eating patterns) learned during childhood. Some people may be more prone to overeating because of biological reasons. For example, the hypothalamus(the part of the brain that controls appetite) may fail to send proper messages about hunger and fullness. And serotonin, a normal brain chemical that affects mood and some compulsive behaviors, may also play a role in binge eating.
The major complications of binge eating disorder are the diseases that accompany obesity. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
People with binge eating disorder are extremely distressed by their binge eating. Most have tried to control it on their own but have not succeeded for very long. Some people miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat. Obese people with binge eating disorder often feel bad about themselves, are preoccupied with their appearance, and may avoid social gatherings. Most feel ashamed and try to hide their problem. Often they are so successful that close family members and friends don’t know they binge eat. Even though it is not advisable for people suffering from the disorder to go on strict dieting, as this will eventually cause them to put on weight, weight loss is definitely an important goal for binge-eaters. They can do this by reducing the amount of food that they eat, SLOWLY.
Interesting Facts: -it has been recognized that binge eating is one of the most common disorders, especially in the US.
-Most people with binge eating disorder are obese (more than 20 percent above a healthy body weight).
-Binge eating disorder affects 2 percent of all adults, or about 1 million to 2 million Americans. -Among mildly obese people in self-help or commercial weight loss programs, 10 to 15 percent have binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is slightly more common in women, with three women affected for every two men.
-The disorder affects blacks as often as whites. Obese people with binge eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder.
