Compulsive Eating?

Please excuse me if this is rude, but I find this question pretty damn stupid and a bit offensive. There are people that have actual eating disorders and feel completely out of control in terms of their consumption of food. Eating a lot of cookies is one thing. Like the Lays ad says, there are some foods where you "can't have just one". Our bodies are programmed to want fat, salt, and sugar and we crave those things.

The idea that you might have disordered eating for devouring a bag of something monthly, is pretty ridiculous and I think makes light of people who actually do struggle with food on a daily basis. Perhaps I am being sensitive because I have struggled with disordered eating and my mother is a diabetic who is currently attending Overeater's Anonymous meetings because she can't seem to control her binging even though it's killing her. However, please do think before you type. Disordered eating is a serious issue and comparing it to a case of the munchies or a sweet tooth trivializes it.

Yeah, you're being insensitive.. this coming from a bulimic.

OP, some people (including me) would consider the occasional overeating as completely normal. People eat because it taste good, because they are in good company, because it's Thanksgiving and grandma only cooks your favorite dish once a year, etc. Yes, even eating a bag of chocolate chips over the course of the day could be normal. The thing to be worried about is how often you overeat this way. Are there any emotions associated with your days of overeating? Do these days extend into several days or even weeks of overeating? Do you feel out of control while eating? And if so, do you feel guilty? Do you purge, restrict calories, take laxatives, or exercise excessively to rid yourself of guilt and/or calories?

The key is guilt. A normal intuitive eater can eat an entire bag of chocolate chips and only be amused with the craving before continuing on with the next meal. A disordered eater (and by disordered, I don't necessarily mean you qualify for an eating disorder) eats the entire bag of chocolate chips and feels guilty and ashamed.

Is eating an entire bag of chocolate chips over the course of several hours considered compulsive overeating, or is that within the range of "normal" eating behavior or not? This isn't a regular thing, I might do it once a month or less, and I'm not overweight.

However, I can't have sweets at home because I will literally just keep going back and eating them until they are gone. Do I have an eating disorder, no will power, or just a crazy sweet tooth? I will only do this with chocolate... not any / all foods.

You don't have the patience to make them into cookies?

Sugar aids in the release of serotonin in our brain which is a "feel-good" chemical. Addictions to sugar have been likened to drug addictions in the way that they affect our behavior and cause us to compulsively return for more. If you find that you can't stop yourself, try quitting processed sugar entirely for a while, and turn to things like fruit and healthier, high-protein foods instead. Much like quitting smoking, it will be tough at first, but after a week or two it will get easier.