eMedinewS Editorial

June 30, 2010 Health Care 2,058 Comments

Binge eating disorder

Binge eating disorder (BED) is binge eating i.e. eating, in a discrete period of time, an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances, two days per week for duration of six months. The mean lifetime duration of BED is 14.4 years.

Binge eating is associated with a lack of control over eating, and with distress over the binge eating. The binges associated with BED must have at least three of the following five criteria

1. Eating much more rapidly than normal
2. Eating until uncomfortably full
3. Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
4. Eating alone because of embarrassment
5. Feeling disgusted, depressed, or very guilty after overeating

Reference

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC 1994.

Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee and Chief Editor