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Binge Eating Disorder
Definitions, symptoms,
explanations, and treatment
options
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What is Binge eating disorder?
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is
characterized by eating large
hungry
4. Eating alone because of
BED, and little is known about what
causes it. It appears to run in families,
amounts of food in a short amount
feeling embarrassed about
leading some scientists to believe there
of time. People with BED feel that
how much one is eating
might be a genetic link (APA, 2013, p
these eating episodes are out of
5. Feeling disgusted with
352). BED usually begins in
control, and they experience
oneself, depressed or very
adolescence or college-age, but can
feelings of guilt, shame, and disgust
guilty afterwards
occur in any age group. It can cause
during and afterward. The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
th
(APA, 2013, p. 350)
many problems in someone’s life,
including both medical and mental
Mental Disorders, 5 edition,
In contrast to bulimia nervosa (an
health problems. Many people think
requires that patients have three or
eating disorder characterized by
BED only occurs in people who are
more of the following symptoms:
binging and purging), people with
obese, but people of a normal body
BED don’t purge the food they ate
mass index may be struggling with this
by self-induced vomiting, excessive
disease as well. The good news is,
exercise, laxatives, or fasting.
rates of remission (getting better) are
1. Eating much more rapidly
than normal
2. Eating until feeling
uncomfortably full
3. Eating large amounts of
food when not physically
What Causes BED?
Many factors can contribute to
higher with BED than the other eating
disorders, including anorexia or
bulimia nervosa (APA, 2013, 352).
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What s going on in the brain?
While scientists haven’t yet figured
smells or sees images of their
in remembering emotional
out exactly what goes on in the
favorite foods, levels of dopamine
experiences (Higgins & George,
brains of people with BED, recent
in their brain rise dramatically
2013, p. 142). People with BED
studies have given us some good
(Wang, et al, 2011). The reward
often have “triggers” that cause
clues.
center includes two important
them to overeat, and the amygdala
structures: the nucleus accumbens
is involved in associating these
(NAc) and the ventral tegmental
triggers with the desire to binge.
Binge eating disorder (BED) shares
area (VTA). These areas receive
The hippocampus is another area of
characteristics with other addictive
messages from other areas of the
the brain involved with memory,
behaviors, such as substance abuse,
brain, including the prefrontal
and therefore may also be involved
or gambling. These disorders all
cortex (PFC), the amygdala, and
in triggers.
involve an area of the brain
the hippocampus. The PFC can be
referred to as the “reward center.”
thought of as the “brakes” of the
The neurotransmitter dopamine is
brain. For instance, if someone
The hypothalamus is your brain’s
involved in mediating signals
were to look at your brain as you
“control center.” It orchestrates a
between this area and other parts of
decide to pass on that second piece
number of important functions,
the brain. Similar to they way
of birthday cake, they would see
like sleeping, eating, and
someone with a drug addiction
more activity in your PFC. The
temperature. One part of this
responds to his or her drug of
amygdala is mostly involved in fear
structure, the lateral
choice, when someone with BED
and anxiety, but it also plays a role
hypothalamus, has been implicated
The Reward Center
Lateral Hypothalamus
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in the regulation of appetite and
implicated in BED. The
may play a part in overeating. A
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)
recent study found a neuron with
axis is involved in the way our bodies
projections between the amygdala
respond to stress. Some of the
and the lateral hypothalamus, and
research surrounding this mechanism
when this neuron was stimulated in
have shown that stress in childhood
the brains of mice, they ate
leads to weight problems later in life,
voraciously, even though they were
and the stress hormone cortisol leads
already full (Jennings, et al, 2013).
to more dopamine release in the NAc
and also increase fat deposits in the
Stress and BED
body (Higgins & George, 2013, p.
Many people overeat when they are
156).
stressed, and indeed, stress is
http://wiki.bethanycrane.com/hypothalamusandhomeostasi
HOW IS IT TREATED?
There are a few different treatment
options for Binge Eating Disorder. Here
are a few of the most successful:
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a
form of therapy that will help you learn to
identify the thought patterns that lead to
binging episodes. You can do CBT in a
group or individually, and your therapist
will help you recognize some of the
triggers that lead to binges and how to
develop new patterns of thinking. CBT is
considered “1st line” for BED, and people
can expect to see a decrease of over 50%
in their symptoms after completing a
course of BED.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
http://www.nami.org
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/symptoms-of-binge-eating-disorder/
http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/binge-eatingdisorder/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/binge-eating-disorder
http://adolescentgrowth.com/treatment-programs/eating-disorders/bingeeating/
MEDICATIONS
Some people may want to try a medication
to help them work through their BED.
Antidepressants are sometimes prescribed,
including Celexa, Prozac, and Zoloft from
the SSRI class.
If you or someone you know suffers from
BED, seek mental health treatment from a
licensed therapist, counselor, psychiatrist,
or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
(NAMI, 2013)
BINGE EATING DISORDER
REFERENCES
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA:
American Psychiatric Publishing.
Higgins, E.S., & George, M.S. (2013). The neuroscience of clinical psychiatry: The pathophysiology of behavior and mental
illness, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Jennings, J.H., Rizzi, G., Stamatakis, A.M., Ung, R.L., Stuber, G.D. (2013). The inhibitory circuit architecture of the
lateral hypothalamus orchestrates feeding. Science, 341:6153, pp. 1517-1521.
National Alliance on Mental Illness. Binge Eating Disorder Fact Sheet. Retrieved from:
http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Helpline1/Binge_Eating_Disorder.htm,
Wang, G.J., Geliebter, A., Volkow, N.D., Telang, F.W., Logan, J., Jayne, M.C.,Galanti, K., Selig, P.A.,Han, H.,
Zhu, W., Wong, C.T., Fowler, J.S. (2011). Enhanced striatal dopamine release during food stimulation in binge
eating disorder. Obesity, DOI: 10.1038/oby.2011.27
Mathes, W.F., Brownley, K.A., Mo, X., Bulik, C.M. (2009). The biology of binge eating. Appetite, 52(3):545-553).