Eating Disorders: Binge Eating More Common Than Anorexia and Bulimia
As far as eating disorders go, anorexia and bulimia get the most attention. But it turns out that binge eating is the most common. A new survey of more than 9,000 Americans published in the current issue of the Journal of Biological Psychiatry found that binge eating disorder occurs in nearly 4 percent of people, whereas anorexia and bulimia occur in 0.6 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Binge eaters typically consume more than 1,500 calories in one sitting between meals when they're not particularly hungry, and they binge at least two times a week. As a result, they're five times as likely to be severely obese, which puts them at a greater risk of obesity-related problems like heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, and colon cancer, according to study leader James Hudson, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Binge eating is akin to alcoholism in that sufferers find that taking a small taste of, say, ice cream leads them to wolf down the entire pint. "It's the same loss of control," explains Hudson, and the same sense of remorse. "Afterwards, people feel depressed and disgusted with themselves. Their self-esteem and feelings of value get terribly hammered and eroded over time."
The study also found that binge eating typically lasts for eight years, the same as for bulimia–compared with about two years for anorexia. What's more, 65 percent of binge eaters have an accompanying anxiety disorder such as a phobia or post traumatic stress disorder. Yet, only about half the binge eaters in the study reported receiving any kind of treatment for either their eating disorder or anxiety. That's similar to the low treatment rate for other eating disorders. In a press conference announcing the findings, the authors emphasized the need for doctors to recognize the problem and initiate early treatment to prevent obesity. Binge eating is typically treated with medications such as Topamax (topiramate) or Meridia (sibutramine) and with psychological and behavioral counseling.
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