Treating Binge Eating Disorder
Compulsive overeating, often called binge eating disorder, is a recognized mental condition, and a treatable one. Psychotherapy can help put a stop to overeating and let you feel better about yourself.
Binge eating disorder, a condition in which a person frequently consumes an unusually large amount of food, is the most common type of eating disorder in the United States, affecting approximately 3 percent of adults, or 15 million people. Those with binge eating disorder, or compulsive overeating, cannot control their eating and, as a result, struggle with excess weight or obesity. Binge eaters are distressed by their behavior and many people with this eating disorder often have depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems.
Treatment for binge eating disorder is complex and will depend on the patient’s individual needs. "There is no consensus on what the correct treatment approach should be. Every person is different," says Chevese Turner, CEO and founder of the Binge Eating Disorder Association.
Generally treatment should address three aspects of this eating disorder: the binging, the underlying mental health problems, and the need for weight loss.
Binge Eating Disorder: Treatment Approaches
Only recently has the medical community recognized binge eating disorder as an eating disorder, and treatments for the condition are still being developed. However, treatment for binge eating disorder should include psychotherapy to help the patient gain control over her eating and deal with whatever is propelling her to overeat. Medications may also be prescribed to help with depression, anxiety, and obesity. Approaches in the binge eating disorder treatment arsenal include:
Psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy are types of psychotherapy that have been proven to help people control binge eating. CBT teaches a person how to monitor and control what and how much she eats, gives her coping skills to better handle tough situations, and see herself in a different, more favorable light. Interpersonal therapy helps people examine their relationships with friends and family members and provides skills needed to make changes in unhealthy relationships.
Medications. Antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), can treat depression and anxiety associated with binge eating disorder and the binging itself, and may help with weight loss. Drugs used to treat obesity, like sibutramine (Meridia), may also be prescribed to help with weight loss — it has been shown to slightly reduce how often a person binges.
Nutritional counseling. A nutritionist can teach healthy eating patterns and get the patient on an eating plan that best meets her individual needs so that she can lose weight safely.
Group therapy. Support is a critical part of recovery for people with binge eating disorder. By participating in support groups, people with this eating disorder can openly discuss their feelings and challenges with people who can relate to what they are going through, enabling them to learn from other people’s experiences.
Binge Eating Disorder: Tackling Weight Loss
A variety of interventions can help the person with binge eating disorder feel better and stop the compulsive overeating, but bringing about weight loss remains a bigger challenge, says B. Timothy Walsh, MD, the Ruane professor of pediatric psychopharmacology in the department of psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and director of the division of clinical therapeutics at New York State Psychiatric Institute. "Simply controlling the binge eating doesn't automatically lead to weight loss for most people," Dr. Walsh says.
Many people with binge eating disorder are grossly overweight, so while they probably will lose some weight when the binging stops, they must take other steps to lose the excess pounds, specifically diet and exercise. If these steps are not enough to get a person's weight to a healthy level, gastric bypass surgery may be considered.
Binge Eating Disorder: Treatment Outlook
With treatment, 75 percent of people with binge eating disorder get better, says Walsh.
“[An] eating disorder is much like addiction — it is going to be with you for the rest of your life,” says Turner, a recovering binge eater. "With good treatment and a good treatment team, you can find what works for you and you can move past your disorder."
Feeling ashamed or embarrassed shouldn’t keep someone with a binge eating disorder from getting treatment. If you can find the right resources,” says Turner. “there is recovery at the end of the day."