What’s triggering my food binges?
Binge eating has become a very common eating behaviour in our current world and is significantly rising. It is important to note that, a person does not necessarily need to have been diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED) such as bulimia or binge eating disorder, in order to binge eat. In fact, the majority of people who binge do not have an ED. Here we will explore the meaning of binge eating and the factors that are causing and maintaining this eating behaviour.
What is a food binge?
Often times, people confuse the term overeating with binge eating and while they both share some similarities, they’re certainly very different. So let’s begin by describing what a binge is. A binge eating episode is characterized by two marked features: the amount of food consumed is significantly larger than what most people would eat in a discrete period of time and there is a feeling of loss of control over eating. In order to be diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED), episodes must happen at least once per week and be associated with at least three of the following:
Eating faster than usual (in a disconnected manner)
Eating until feeling uncomfortably (painfully) full
Eating large amounts in the absence of physical hunger
Eating in secrecy
Feeling guilty, disgusted and ashamed after eating
The amount of food consumed during an objective binge usually ranges between 1,000 to 2,000 calories, with some reporting to have consumed 15,000 calories or more, although this is much more uncommon. It’s not unusual for some individuals, however, to report subjective binges, where the person perceives the food consumed as outrageously large (when essentially the amount of food consumed is relatively small) accompanied by a sense of loss of control which causes a notable degree of distress.
In contrast, overeating, is a part of normal eating which sometimes happens during friend/family gatherings, special events or even occasionally, while at home. A feeling of guilt may also present after someone overeats, however, this is rather a result of diet culture, which views this eating behaviour as “unacceptable”, when in fact, is completely normal and human.
So, what triggers these food binges?
Before getting into the common triggering factors of binge eating episodes, it is important to recognize that these are not the root causes of why this eating problem may have started in the first place. Here, I explain the multiple causes that can lead to the development of an ED and its prominent complexity. Now, let’s dive right into the binge eating triggers:
Restrictive dieting and constant undereating: a well-substantiated body of evidence has identified dieting to be amongst the most common factors involved in the initiation of binge eating. What’s more, dieting has not only been reported to be a trigger but also, a response to binge eating, thereby making this a hard to break vicious cycle. When we diet, we are essentially, depriving ourselves from energy (food) by delaying the time at when we start eating, restricting the amount of calories that we consume and/or avoiding specific foods or food groups. To counteract this food shortage, our body will elicit physical and psychological mechanisms which intensify our desire to eat, our cravings and our thoughts about food (to the point of obsession). Ultimately, this leads to breaking food rules by giving in to the cravings and binging on, the so called, “forbidden foods” until reaching the point of uncomfortable fullness.
Negative emotions: binging can also be the result of feeling depressed, sad, bored, stressed or any other uncomfortable feeling that may be experienced at the time. This is often referred to as, emotional eating, where an individual uses food as a method of coping with adverse emotions. Binge eating may serve as a temporary escape to calm, distract or even numb their feelings. However, in the long run, this will lead to feeling(s) being intensified and unresolved.
Unstructured days: having a hectic or unstructured routine may predispose individuals to binge, especially if skipping meals or leaving long gaps (more than 5-6 hours) without eating during the day. Setting up a regular pattern of eating involving frequent meals and social activities can help prevent binging episodes. You can download my weekly planner to help you with this!
Loneliness: a key feature of most binges is that they occur in secret, this is, in order to avoid being judged by others. Thus, being alone can increase the risk of a binge happening.
Negative body image: having a negative perception of body shape and size, alongside being overly concern about how someone looks (to the point of assessing one’s self-worth in terms of physical appearance) will predispose an individual to adopt a very strict way of dieting. This is, in order to comply with the standards of beauty imposed by diet culture. As discussed before, dieting can lead to uncontrollable binge eating.
Weight gain: this is linked to having a negative body image in that, people largely focuses on their weight as a way to monitor their body shape and size. Therefore, if someone steps on the scale and notices that their weight has increased, negative emotions and a sense of failure will likely ensue. A very common response to this is to give up any attempts to control one’s eating behaviour, rebel against the restrictive rules and binge. Here I explain why focusing on weight is one of the biggest misconceptions since fluctuations occur very frequently, even within the same day.
Binge eating can cause a significant sense of distress and interfere with a person’s physical and psychological health, and their quality of life. If you feel you or anyone you know may be struggling with binge eating, I encourage you to seek for professional advice to help and support you tackle the root causes and triggers of your binge eating problem.