Compulsive overeating, otherwise known as binge eating, is characterized by a person consuming food even when not hungry in an attempt to reduce anxiety, EmpoweredParents.com explains. Individuals who are compulsive eaters often eat at all times of the day but more often at night. Binge eaters are impulsive, can vary in their weight and often eat to try to make themselves feel better.
Impulsivity
When a compulsive overeater consumes food, she does not listen to the cues of her body that she is full and cannot control her eating. She usually eats until she is in pain or has severe discomfort. Individuals who are compulsive eaters usually are impulsive in nature, even in other areas of their lives, EmpoweredParents.com reports. This can mean being reckless, engaging in dangerous activities or having poor decision-making skills.
Weight
Not all binge eaters are overweight, and just because someone is obese does not mean he is a binge eater. A person may eat 5,000 calories in one sitting but can maintain his weight because he does not do it all the time. Binge eating also should not be confused with anorexia, which is starving yourself to become thin. It should also not be confused with binging and purging, which is characterized by throwing up after eating a large amount of food, also called bulimia.
Emotional Eating
Often, binge eaters eat to comfort themselves, according to helpguide.org. It can even become an addiction, according to helpguide.org. Food addiction can be compared to an alcoholic not being able to say no to alcohol. Unfortunately, emotional eating does not solve the root of the problems and only comforts the person for the time being, according to helpguide.org.
References
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Text Revision"; American Psychiatric Association, 2000
- Helpguide.org: Binge Eating Disorder
- EmpoweredParents: What is Binge-Eating Disorder or Compulsive Overeating?
