Binge Eating Support Series Post 1

What exactly is a binge, anyway?

Have you ever noticed that people throw the term 'binge' around a lot these days? “I binge-watched Schitt’s Creek last night,” and “I guess he’s binge-drinking again this Thursday night” are just a couple of examples outside of food.

When it comes to binge eating, specific characteristics are involved, including the following:

1)    An experience of loss of control while eating.

This is more than just thinking you ate more than you should or “blowing” your diet. When someone experiences clinically significant loss of control eating, they feel like they physically can’t stop eating once they’ve started. This might look like going back and forth into the kitchen to get food repetitively, with that feeling of loss of control. Others describe the experience as feeling like they’re completely disconnected from their body, or as if they’re a vehicle rolling down a hill, unable to brake. As a clinician, you might hear the following:

• “Once I start eating, it feels like I can’t stop.”

• “It’s like a magnet keeps drawing me into the kitchen.”

2)    Eating an “objectively large amount of food”

What does “objectively large” mean? Eating disorder experts describe it as eating more than what most people would eat in a similar time frame under similar circumstances. Some estimate that an objective binge is equivalent to multiple meals’ worth of food. Often, people describe eating amounts of food that may be significantly less than this, but recognize the loss of control experience described above. This is called a subjective binge.

Research tells us that it’s not so much the amount of food as the distress associated with the experience that matters. Consultation note: When I work with therapists, I encourage them to assess this first characteristic thoroughly and provide education to clients they work with, because often people think they are binge eating when they actually don’t meet criteria.

An episode of binge eating involves by at least 3 of the 5 following criteria. Because us mental health providers love our acronyms, we’ll coin these as the “UNRAD” experience of:

• Eating until you are Uncomfortably full

• Eating when you are Not Hungry

• Eating more Rapidly (or quickly) than what is typical of you

• Intentionally eating Alone, or in secret, due to shame about your behavior

• Experiencing Distress or Disgust after the experience

What is Binge Eating Disorder (BED)?

To meet criteria for Binge Eating Disorder, the above criteria should be met, and the binge eating must happen at least once weekly for a period of 3 months at a minimum. There must also be concerns about these eating patterns. If someone is using strategies such as exercise, vomiting, or other means to cancel out their binges (known as “compensatory behaviors”), they likely meet criteria for a different eating disorder.

Behaviors that are often mistaken for binge eating

If you (or a client) identify with any of the experiences below, or perhaps don’t meet the full criteria for Binge Eating Disorder, the following support posts in this series can still be helpful.

• Repetitive snacking (AKA “Grazing”) – known as eating small amounts of food over time, it’s often driven by undereating, not giving yourself full permission to have certain foods, or need for stimulation of some sort. Though it can be distressing, it’s not a binge.

• “Emotional” eating or eating to soothe yourself or distract from difficult emotions. Recognize that emotional eating is part of a normal relationship with food. If it is your only coping strategy, however, you might consider adding to your toolkit.

• Eating something you hadn’t intended to, or “blowing the diet”. Also not binge eating, but often speaks to overcontrolled food intake and rigid food rules.

• Eating until uncomfortably full. By itself… not a binge. Sometimes this is called “rebound eating” and is more likely to occur after a long period without eating or when you get really hungry. If you don’t eat enough regularly, or have a medical condition such as gastroparesis, this may also affect your experience of feeling full quickly.

This information aims to clarify what binge eating is—and what it is not. For accurate diagnosis, therapists are encouraged to assess these dimensions carefully and offer clients clear, compassionate education. For additional tips or applied support, reach out for more information on clinical consultation or eating disorder treatment.

The information shared in this blog is intended to educate and empower, not to replace medical or mental health services. It should not be used as a form of treatment. If you’re struggling or need individualized care, please reach out to a licensed professional.