Psychiatry-Online

Binge eating disorder

Synonyms

Psychogenic hyperphagia, binge eating disorder

definition

In the case of binge eating disorder, there are recurring "eating attacks". These are very, very uncomfortable for the patient and there is often great disgust for oneself. The eating attacks occur several times a week and there are no weight-regulating measures (vomiting, laxatives, etc.).

Epidemiology

There are still relatively few reliable statements on the frequency of binge eating disorder / psychogenic hyperphagia. According to a study (Testam and Agras 1995), the incidence in the Norwegian population is around 1.5%. Another study (Johnson and Spitzer 2001) differentiates between the ages of women. Here the incidence was estimated at 1% for young women, 3.3% for middle-aged women and 8.8% for older women.

Differential diagnoses

Even patients under a Obesity (Overweight) suffer from cravings. However, abnormal eating behavior can also be associated with various physical illnesses (Diabetes mellitus, Brain tumors, etc.). As a rule, eating behavior deviates from binge eating when you are overweight.

Last but not least, on the therapeutic side, one must also remember that patients with the symptoms of a schizophrenia can also show very noticeable eating behavior.

Summary

In addition to repeated binge eating (similar to bulimia: large amounts in comparatively short periods of time), there are other changes in eating behavior in patients with binge eating disorder. The patients eat much faster than normal, they eat until they feel uncomfortably full ("until they burst"). You also don't have to feel hungry to eat large amounts of food.
Usually, patients eat alone during the seizures as they are ashamed of the crowds. After such an attack, the patient is usually overwhelmed by excessive feelings of guilt, which leads to a significant drop in mood (depression).

Despite the suffering associated with the seizures, they occur several times a week and are not attempted to be controlled by weight-regulating measures.