Binge Eating Disorder, or BED, is the most common eating disorder in the United States. It is a serious medical condition where individuals eat significantly more food in a short period of time than most others would under similar circumstances. It’s marked by feelings of lack of control, shame, guilt, and embarrassment. While overeating can be a normal tendency for many individuals, someone with BED has recurrent episodes of bingeing leading to emotional and sometimes physical distress.
Many people will experience bouts of overeating who do not have BED. Holidays, parties, vacations, etc. can all be cause for episodes of overeating. However, these things happen occasionally and are not part of everyday eating habits. Drawing the line between overeating and Binge Eating Disorder comes down to frequency, feelings of loss of control, and emotions and feelings during and after a binge eating episode.
BED sufferers binge regularly, at least one to two times per week and find binge eating episodes to be very upsetting. They prefer to eat alone because of embarrassment associated with their eating behavior. They will eat large amounts of food even when they are not hungry to the point where they are uncomfortably full.
While binge eating disorder is very common, it often goes unnoticed due to the embarrassment and shame associated with the disorder. If you or someone you love is struggling with BED, ActivMed is currently enrolling studies for those seeking new treatment options. Study participants who qualify are closely evaluated by board-certified physicians and other medical professionals. Reasonable reimbursement is also available for travel for those who qualify and decide to participate. To learn more and see if you or someone you love may qualify for a study in Methuen, CLICK HERE. Learn more about studies in Portsmouth, NH by CLICKING HERE.
