Eating too much isn 't abnormal-- think about Thanksgiving and Christmas, and when you stuff yourself with holiday treats. There is a big difference between obesity and the psychological disorder called BED. 5% of the world’s population having had this illness at some point in their life. Binge Eating Disorder can be defined as excessive periods of overeating to the point of being uncomfortable, even if one is not hungry. People who binge eat tend to have a restricted diet during the day and prefer to eat alone, leaving them vulnerable to binge at night (Mathes, Brownley, Mo, & Bulik, 2009). Unlike anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, BED does not include behaviors such as excessive exercise or self-induced vomiting. Instead, it is a cycle brought on by feelings of shame and regret due to obesity, leading to a binge and creating that same shame and the cycle restarts. A binge can also be triggered by anger, sadness, boredom, or other negative emotions. Binge Eating Disorder as a prevailing disorder in the field of psychology is most common in women and adolescents and is caused by several factors, it can be treated, and the consequences can be severe. As of March 2013, BED became an official eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V). The DSM is the “official rule-book” of all mental disabilities that communicates disorders in a common language for everyone to understand (Marx, 2013). Previous to this date, this disorder was not characterized as a ‘formal’ disorder because it is hard to distinguish the difference between being overweight and having the psychological disorders within binge eating. More specifically, binge eating was listed in DSM-IV in Appendix B and diagnosed as a non-specific EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). The symptoms of BED can also be hidden from family members and friends for months, even years. For the past 30 years, there have been hundreds of research papers trying to prove the validity of binge eating as an approved disorder (Marx, 2013). It may also become evident that binge eating disorder is a commonality in women and adolescents, and that the mass media is a significant factor to this disorder. BED shows prevalence in the years of adolescence and into early adulthood, but can also occur during childhood (Kam, n.d.). Doctors are not exactly sure how eating disorders are caused, but have begun to understand the development of them. Research shows that eating disorders are caused by a combination of environmental, social, and biological factors (Mathes et al. 2009). Many teens and children suffering from BED experience some level of distress, a feeling of helpless and a low self-esteem, which causes them to form and habituate bad eating habits in order to cope with their everyday obstacles (Kam, n.d.). Social pressure to be thin may add to the shame of binge eating, and can possibly fuel their emotional eating. Without even realizing it, parents may be “setting the stage” for a future eating disorder for their children by giving their them food as an outlet for comfort or rewarding behavior. After a year, maybe even a few months, children associate the feeling of anxiety and depression with food, which may follow them into adulthood (Smith, Segal, & Segal, 2016).
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Siblings, friends, parents and others around them have unique experiences and many different feelings while coping with the effects of binge eating disorder on the person and as well as their own lives. The strain of living with an eating disorder can create tensions and divisions within the family. Each individual involved will most likely be affected in many different ways. Some common examples of coping is initially a state of confusion paired with grief, anger, guilt and or fear.
To conclude, Binge Eating Disorder as a prevailing disorder in the field of psychology is most common in women and children, it can be treated, and the consequences can be severe for the affected and the people around them. Binge eating is a psychological ailment that is very different from obesity. Doctors do not know the exact cause of BED, but strong evidence reveals that it is caused by a combination of environmental, social, and biological factors (Mathes et al. 2009). According to Antioch University Community Psych Eating Disorder Team
Siblings, friends, parents and others around them have unique experiences and many different feelings while coping with the effects of binge eating disorder on the person and as well as their own lives. The strain of living with an eating disorder can create tensions and divisions within the family. Each individual involved will most likely be affected in many different ways. Some common examples of coping is initially a state of confusion paired with grief, anger, guilt and or fear.
To conclude, Binge Eating Disorder as a prevailing disorder in the field of psychology is most common in women and children, it can be treated, and the consequences can be severe for the affected and the people around them. Binge eating is a psychological ailment that is very different from obesity. Doctors do not know the exact cause of BED, but strong evidence reveals that it is caused by a combination of environmental, social, and biological factors (Mathes et al. 2009). According to Antioch University Community Psych Eating Disorder Team