Binge eating disorder: characteristics and treatment approaches

Binge Eating Disorder

The most prevalent eating disorder in adults has been identified to be the binge eating disorder (BED) (Iacovino, 2012). This disorder can be characterized when an individual eats an unusually large amount of food which is characterized by a loss of self-control. There is also an absence of other accompanying behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or exercise and these individuals can gain a significant amount of excess weight. It has been estimated that the disorder affects 3.5% of women and 2.0% of men in the U.S. And is equally present in different racial and ethnic groups (Iacovino, 2012).

There are wide arrays of different health consequences for individuals that suffer from BED. The health impacts all are derived from obesity related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as self-image and social problems that can also occur. The lives of people who suffer from BED can be seriously impaired and treatment of this condition is a priority for many researchers. The study examined review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological treatments for BED in the hopes of informing current clinical practice as well as providing a basis for future research (Iacovino, 2012).

The study considers different alternative treatments that have researched in the literature and include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), behavioral weight loss treatment (BWL), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as pharmalogical treatments and alternative treatments (Iacovino, 2012). The study breaks down each of these treatments categorically and considers what research has been conducted.

For example, the study provides the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is to disrupt this "diet-binge cycle" by promoting healthier, more structured eating patterns (e.g., regular meals and snacks), improving shape and weight concerns, and encouraging the use of healthy weight-control behaviors (e.g., engaging in flexible dietary restraint) (Iacovino, 2012). CBT is the widest researched treatment of BED has been shown to be effective in a number of studies which are sited. Studies have also examined the efficacy of CBT combined with pharmacological treatments and found that fluoxetine does not confer any additional benefit in terms of reducing binge eating yet topiramate may have benefits but future research should be conducted to confirm initial studies (Iacovino, 2012).