• Do you recurrently and rapidly consume a large amount of food in a short space of time, i.e. within a two-hour period an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar amount of time in similar circumstances?
• Do you have a lack of control over eating during the episodes?

If you answer "Yes!" to both of the above questions, you likely suffer from Binge Eating Disorder, a treatable condition.

What Causes Binge Eating?

Binge eating often begins as a response to stress, or to a long period of calorie restriction.  The binge eating then becomes a habit.  Some sufferers find that they can control their eating until under pressure at school, work, or home.  Although many bingers are also bulimic and/or food restrictors (anorexic) there are also many who simply overeat time and again, much to their distress.   

While on its own, binge eating is not usually life-threatening, it's very distressing to the individual who feels out of control.  Often, she/he is also concerned about weight gain.  The stress caused by these concerns can add to the emotional eating problem.

Will Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder Assist Me to Lose Weight?

Most people who are treated do lose weight.  However, it's important that weight loss is not the focus.  Gaining control and eating a healthy balanced diet must be the focus if treatment is to succeed long-term.  Clients are discouraged from extreme food restriction (dieting) because of the yo-yo effect that this causes.  The object is to assist the client to maintain a heallthy weight while eating a varied and nutritionally sound diet, in a controlled manner.

How Can this Disorder be Cured?

Depending on the person being helped,  treatment usually involves a number of steps and treatment.  These may include: 

a) analysis of the eating patterns

• emotional, environmental, and situational triggers

b)  analysis of the food consumed

• time of day, amounts, and nutritional balance of the food

c) cognitive-behavioural therapy

• Studies have shown that C-BT is useful to change dysfunctional thought patterns, and to replace certain behaviours with more useful ones.

d) relaxtion techniques

• Those used are determined between the psychotherapist and the client.  These may include deep breathing, creative visualization, muscle relaxation and hypnosis.

"I feel that you have given me the tools I need to contol my eating and I'm happy with myself now.  Thank you, Barbara."   Ellen, age 26