Binge eating disorder: prevalence, causes, and treatment approaches

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

This research concentrates on the role of body weight or shape on self-evaluation on individuals. A healthy individual will use their self-evaluation correctly to manage their weight. However, some individuals over evaluate their weight or body shape on their self-image and this is referred to as simply "overvaluation' (Grilo, 2013). Overvaluation of body shape or weight is a common characteristic among most eating disorders. However, there has been some debate about whether or not this characteristic is present in the binge eating disorder (BED).

BED is defined by recurrent binge eating (eating unusually large quantities of food in a discrete period accompanied by feelings of loss of control), binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of 5 behavioral indicators (e.g., eating much more rapidly than usual), marked distress about the binge eating, and the absence of inappropriate weight-compensatory behaviors that are characteristic of bulimia nervosa (BN) (Grilo, 2013). The frequency of binge eating episodes is defined as binge eating once or more per week for at least a period of three months and also requires some kind of "marked distress" in the individual before it can be officially diagnosed.

Other eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa (BN) and anorexia nervosa (AN) require that an individual has an overvaluation of their body type, weight, or body image. However, BED makes no formal provisions for overvaluation and this research directly challenges this definition by addressing issues regarding the importance of the overvaluation of shape/weight in BED (Grilo, 2013). It is argued that it is in fact present in BED.

The presence of overvaluation is the key consideration in which it is separated from behavioral overeating. The other eating disorders are characterized by both eating behaviors as well as the manner in which the body is evaluated. The distinction between dissatisfaction with a body type and overvaluation is made. Many individuals in our society experience varying degrees of dissatisfaction with their appearance but relatively few individuals place such importance on shape/weight that it serves as the primary way in which they judge themselves or define their self-worth (Grilo, 2013). This is the connection that can work to define binge eating as a disorder as opposed to behavioral overeating.