Everyone overeats, occasionally. Seldom is a bout of “emotional” or “stress” eating, for example, a cause for concern. Neither of those carries an official clinical diagnosis or requires medical treatment.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED), on the other hand, is clinically defined as a pattern of excessive and uncontrolled consumption of food, often happening once a week or more. Loss of Control (LOC) eating is an aspect of BED that correlates with the experience of being unable to stop eating, regardless of the actual quantity of food consumed.
Both are highly distressing to those who experience them, resulting in feelings of shame, guilt, and powerlessness over food. One key difference: With LOC, the amount of food eaten is subjective; while a person might feel like they’re eating too much, they might not be.
1 of 5
Binge Eating Disorder
The word “binge” can be confusing due, perhaps, to the now ubiquitous phenomenon of “binge watching” a TV series on demand, which is usually a harmless and voluntary activity. Binge watching is solved by simply clicking the power button on a remote. “Binge eating,” on the other hand, is considered a serious medical condition. It involves eating a large quantity of food during a short period of time (typically under two hours) and feeling unable to stop. There’s no “off” button for binge eating.
BED affects almost three percent of adults in the U.S., according to Yale Medicine researchers; it is more common than bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa combined. What makes it harmful? Studies show links between BED and liver disease, heart disease, and mental health issues. People with BED are more likely to have obesity.
2 of 5
Signs and Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes it this way: “Binge eating disorder involves consuming more food compared to what is typical in similar circumstances at least once a week for three months without engaging in compensatory behaviors such as purging or excessive exercise.” The disorder is associated with at least three of the following behaviors:
- Eating much more rapidly than normal
- Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
- Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
- Eating alone due to feeling embarrassed about the quantity consumed
- Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterward
3 of 5
Loss of Control Eating
LOC is a more subjective term, measured by a patient’s “feeling” of being unable to stop eating, rather than the amount of food actually consumed. Similar to BED, LOC eating episodes make people feel powerless, ashamed, and guilt-ridden, and they can lead to other disorders, like depression, anxiety, and obesity. But the amount of food that’s actually eaten during an LOC episode could be large, average, or even small.
4 of 5
Signs and Symptoms of Loss of Control Eating
One study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders found these three descriptions of eating episodes to be reliably associated with an LOC diagnosis.
- “It’s hard for me to stop eating when I eat like that.”
- “I feel like I can’t stop or limit the amount of food or the type of food I’m eating.”
- “I don’t really try to control my eating anymore. Eating like that is pretty much inevitable.”
5 of 5
What Is Cause for Concern?
To be clear, treating yourself to an extra helping of your mother’s lasagna or a second piece of cake from time to time, even when you’re already feeling sated, is normal. Though these instances may leave you feeling uncomfortably full, they won’t necessarily cause you to feel out of control or consumed with shame and guilt afterward.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem eating behaviors that cause distress, it is important to seek professional medical help.
