Patients with binge eating disorder suffer from regular binge eating. They consume large amounts of food and have the feeling of losing control over their eating behavior. They do not regularly resort to weight loss measures and are therefore often obese. Obesity is defined as a BMI of > 30.0 kg/m². Many people suffer from obesity, and the trend is rising. The most severe form of obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m², grade 3) affects between 1 and 1.2 percent of people.
Further information and clinics for binge eating disorders can be found below.
Author
Leading Medicine Guide Editors
ICD codes for this diseases: F50.3, F50.4
Article overview
How does a binge eating disorder develop?
Various psychosocial and biological factors are involved in the development and maintenance of binge eating disorder, such as
- Overestimation of external appearance
- Dissatisfaction with the figure
- Increased BMI
- Low self-esteem
- Depressive symptoms
- Low level of social support
According to ICD-10, binge eating disorder is classified as atypical bulimia nervosa (F 50.3) or as binge eating with other mental disorders (F 50.4).
28out of 1,000 girls and women will develop bingeeating disorderin their lifetime @ New Africa /AdobeStock
Treatment of binge eating disorder
The following measures are primarily required for both obesity and binge eating disorder:
- Dietary intervention
- exercise
- Exercise therapy
- Psychoeducation
- Surgical measures
Modified behavioral therapy is the method of choice for psychotherapy. The focus here is on healthy eating behavior and the analysis of shopping, cooking and eating food.
Exercise therapy plays an important role in the treatment of binge eating disorder @ Kletr /AdobeStock
Treatment goals for binge eating disorder
The treatment goals for binge eating disorder are
- Normalization of eating behavior
- Normalization of body weight
- Improving the ability to deal with conflict and relationships
Psychological individual and group treatments can help to achieve these goals. Patients can come to terms with their difficulties.
Possible difficulties are
- Perceiving and expressing their own needs in relationships
- Mastering conflictual situations
If patients with eating disorders have better options for resolving conflicts and regulating their emotions, they no longer have to resort to eating.
In inpatient or day-care settings, shared meals also counteract symptomatic eating behavior.
