Binge Eating Officially Classified as an Eating Disorder

Replies

  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    I know the Daily Fail isn't exactly a scientific/academic source, however the headline bothers me a lot. 'Binge eat? You don't lack will power, dear, you have a psychiatric illness!' I have had an eating disorder since I was 12, and I've shifted for restriction, to bulimia, to binge eating, etc., and I do believe a lack of willpower is a part of binge eating. Willpower comes from the ability to rationalise our thoughts and put emotions to one side, to think logically and realise that our habits aren't right.

    Eating disorders ignore rational willpower and focus on destructive willpower, i.e. someone who says 'I will eat 200 calories a day' succeeds due to willpower, but it is destructive willpower. It is having the will and self-loathing to maintain self-destructive habits on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. To say binge-eating isn't about a lack of willpower will just fuel the people who use 'I have an eating disorder, not lack of willpower' as an excuse to continue their habits.

    Again, it's the Daily Fail. So no surprise that their article is bullsh*t. However, I'm happy that BED is getting medical recognition. Now time to actually focus on treating all EDs, because it's only going to get harder now that everyone who binge eats will believe they have a mental illness. Ugh.
  • Zombielicious
    Zombielicious Posts: 246 Member
    Yeah, that was really what I thought was interesting about the article...that it's actually being recognized as a disorder. Unfortunately, I think you're right in saying that a lot of people will use it as an excuse. I will say, however, that they did try and put forth that there is a difference between binge eating and comfort eating....I just think people won't pay attention to that part.
  • watcheronthewall
    watcheronthewall Posts: 104
    Why do you think people will use it as an excuse? An excuse for what exactly? There is an enomous amount of stigma attached to overeating/binge eating and sufferers are likely to be mocked, labelled as greedy and told "why don't you just stop eating?" Noone wants an excuse to eat themselves into oblivion. It's awful and life-ruining. It's not like people are going to start announcing it as a reason to stuff their faces. Binge eating disorder is quite complex and can manifest itself in different ways. In my case it came about largely as a response to long-term restriction as well as a form of self-medicating.

    I'm not sure what the 'ugh' is for. Do you think bed sufferers are undermining the 'real' ed sufferers?
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    Why do you think people will use it as an excuse? An excuse for what exactly? There is an enomous amount of stigma attached to overeating/binge eating and sufferers are likely to be mocked, labelled as greedy and told "why don't you just stop eating?" Noone wants an excuse to eat themselves into oblivion. It's awful and life-ruining. It's not like people are going to start announcing it as a reason to stuff their faces. Binge eating disorder is quite complex and can manifest itself in different ways. In my case it came about largely as a response to long-term restriction as well as a form of self-medicating.

    I'm not sure what the 'ugh' is for. Do you think bed sufferers are undermining the 'real' ed sufferers?

    I think you should re-read the part where I wrote 'I'm happy that BED is getting medical recognition. Now time to actually focus on treating all EDs' until you understand it, it obviously didn't work the first time
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    TL; DR: Binge eating disorder will now have the same psychiatric importance as anorexia and bulimia.

    IMO, our general approach to these types of issues is fundamentally flawed. The human body evolved specifically to handle cycles of binging/fasting - instead of fighting our natural biology, we should be teaching people with problems how to accept it and work with it.
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    TL; DR: Binge eating disorder will now have the same psychiatric importance as anorexia and bulimia.

    IMO, our general approach to these types of issues is fundamentally flawed. The human body evolved specifically to handle cycles of binging/fasting - instead of fighting our natural biology, we should be teaching people with problems how to accept it and work with it.

    ...So you're saying we should allow people whose eating disorder causes them intense self-hatred and depression, on a daily basis, to just 'accept and work with it' because of our ancestral biology? Oh

    Also, we adapt to our environment. Are (most) of us in the position where we must not eat for days when we scavenge, then finally find food and binge on it to sustain ourselves until our next hunt?
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    Food "addiction."

    Eating to ridiculous excess classified as an eating "disorder."

    Let's see...how many more ways can society find to minimize accountability for overeaters?
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    Food "addiction."

    Eating to ridiculous excess classified as an eating "disorder."

    Let's see...how many more ways can society find to minimize accountability for overeaters?

    There is a difference between overeaters and compulsive binge eaters. I agree that this will cause problems when overeaters start labelling their greed as an eating disorder, but you're forgetting that there are people out there whose binge eating is just as disordered as someone else's bulimia or anorexia
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    . double post
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Food "addiction."

    Eating to ridiculous excess classified as an eating "disorder."

    Let's see...how many more ways can society find to minimize accountability for overeaters?

    Far from "minimizing", this diagnosis will allow doctors and patients to set up proper treatment plans. That's the entire point of a diagnosis. If someone gets diagosed and then says "Eh, screw it, nothing to be done," the fault is with them personally, not the diagnosis.

    If you do not understand that a diagnosis is a precursor to developing a proper treatment plan, then you understand nothing and should not be in this discussion.
  • selfepidemic1
    selfepidemic1 Posts: 159 Member
    It makes sense, a lot of people who are bulimic tend to have the same traits, except they purge it afterwards. A lot of people are addicted to food. I find it annoying how people in this post are like "uh no you have no control!" Except, you don't give an alcoholic a drink every day, but tell him not to drink.

    It happens and it IS disordered eating, it isn't "normal"
  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Food "addiction."

    Eating to ridiculous excess classified as an eating "disorder."

    Let's see...how many more ways can society find to minimize accountability for overeaters?

    So its "ok" to not be accountable for undereaters or Anorexics? I binge eat....its not overeating. Its binge-ing ALOT. I don't want to put blame on anyone but myself BUT it actually is a sickness I would rather NOT have.
  • kirstenmaria
    kirstenmaria Posts: 112 Member
    It's been considered an eating disorder in the US for years.
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    It's been considered an eating disorder in the US for years.

    So how's that working out for America, then? Mental illness awareness and treatment is inadequate everywhere, unfortunately
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I thought BED had been on the DSM list for some time now?
  • kirstenmaria
    kirstenmaria Posts: 112 Member
    I underwent treatment, and feel I'm cured. I can emote normally, and don't rely on binging and crazy chemical imbalances to prevent or deal with emotions. My statement was only to suggest that insurance companies have recognized it and cover treatment and counseling.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    I thought BED had been on the DSM list for some time now?

    Just added as an actual disorder in DSM-5 this year.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    ...So you're saying we should allow people whose eating disorder causes them intense self-hatred and depression, on a daily basis, to just 'accept and work with it' because of our ancestral biology? Oh

    I never said anything even remotely like that, and don't appreciate being grossly mischaracterized like that.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    ...So you're saying we should allow people whose eating disorder causes them intense self-hatred and depression, on a daily basis, to just 'accept and work with it' because of our ancestral biology? Oh

    I never said anything even remotely like that, and don't appreciate being grossly mischaracterized like that.

    Then what did you mean?
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I thought BED had been on the DSM list for some time now?

    Just added as an actual disorder in DSM-5 this year.

    Huh, I must of had "ahead of their time" psychiatrists. I wonder what they were billing for..interesting.
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    I underwent treatment, and feel I'm cured. I can emote normally, and don't rely on binging and crazy chemical imbalances to prevent or deal with emotions. My statement was only to suggest that insurance companies have recognized it and cover treatment and counseling.

    If I may ask, what sort of treatment did you go through? How intensive was it? I would really love to have a healthier relationship with food and any information on this would be welcome.
  • kirstenmaria
    kirstenmaria Posts: 112 Member
    I underwent treatment, and feel I'm cured. I can emote normally, and don't rely on binging and crazy chemical imbalances to prevent or deal with emotions. My statement was only to suggest that insurance companies have recognized it and cover treatment and counseling.

    If I may ask, what sort of treatment did you go through? How intensive was it? I would really love to have a healthier relationship with food and any information on this would be welcome.

    I had counseling for an hour once a week where I learned coping mechanisms to help with binge cravings and emotions, etc, at an eating disorders clinic. Treatment is almost the same as bulimia or anorexia. I was simultaneously treated for mild depression once a month, and saw a nutritionist in the same center every so often (less than once a month). This whole process also helped me learn that I have Attention Deficit Disorder that appears to have late onset or worsened into adulthood. A year ago I went to another clinic for help with the ADD (as a grad student), and was told by my intake counselor he thinks there is a correlation between ADD and eating disorders. I don't know if he ever researched that statement or not.

    Edit: This lasted about 1.5 to 2 years in high school. Stress is a trigger for me.
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    That is very interesting; I have been seeing a therapist for years and she suggested at one point that I showed tendencies of adult ADD, but I was never officially diagnosed. I wonder if it has to do with latching onto something to focus on instead of having scattered thoughts? Anyway thanks for the reply.
  • yourfitnessenemy
    yourfitnessenemy Posts: 121 Member
    Food "addiction."

    Eating to ridiculous excess classified as an eating "disorder."

    Let's see...how many more ways can society find to minimize accountability for overeaters?

    Ugh. Go actually learn something about Binge Eating Disorder (if you don't want to wade through a lot of data, even YouTube is a place to start). People are known to binge upwards of 5,000 cal per meal to the point where they will go to jail for stealing food, go bankrupt, etc. Not the same as just over-eating.

    I'm not sure it matters that it was separated from ED-NOS; it's essentially the same disorder as bulimia without the compensation for weight loss by vomiting, laxatives, etc (people tend to define bulimia by "vomiting" but binging is an essential component of that dx).
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    This seems to make sense. Any behaviour which puts people's health at a high risk is, of itself, symptomatic of some kind of disordered thinking. Whether it's a person overeating, a community who abuse drugs or a country sending it's youngsters abroad armed with guns, tanks and bombs. Just my opinion.
  • wowgirl30
    wowgirl30 Posts: 40 Member
    I think it is a good thing - it opens the doors to treatment options and awareness. The word "Binge" gets thrown around a lot here on MFP. The vast majority of times the person using it means that they simply overate so you will have people saying it is an excuse or not a big deal and not understand what the issue is. Binge eating disorder is completely different than overeating and has less to do with loving food and more about destructive coping or self harming behaviors. There is a HUGE amount of shame and secrecy that goes along with it and because of this confusion between overeating and bingeing, sufferers are looked down on and don't get the help they need for a serious mental health problem (I think a psychological issue that causes physical danger is serious - some people are literally eating themselves to death).

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