Binge Eating is NOT a Moral Failure

Hey guys - this is going to start my series on Binge Eating Disorder.  I don't know how many of you are aware that I've struggled with this for years.  It wasn't until about 2 years ago that I finally sought help and began taking steps towards ending this nightmare.  Recently, (for the past 6 months or so) I've noticed that I've slowly been slipping back into some of my old habits.  While still hitting all my workouts, my "cheat meals" began getting out of control and bigger and bigger.

An example of a "cheat meal" from just last week.  (This was all one sitting, while watching football)

• Pizza Hut Big Italiano Pizza
• 2 - 2 Litters of Diet Pepsi
• 2 Quarts of Cookie Dough Ice Cream
• 2 King Size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

I'm not proud to put this out there, but for those of you who also struggle with B.E.D. (Binge Eating Disorder), I want you to know, that you're not alone.

Here's an excerpt from the book "Binge No More" by Joyce D. Nash, Ph. D.

"Binge eating is not a moral failure.  Contrary to popular belief, binge eating is not the result of carbohydrate craving or an addiction to sugar or food.  And it does not result from yo-yo dieting (losing and the regaining weight mulitple times).  Bing eating is part of a disordered eating pattern that many qualify as an eating disorder.

Most often, binge eating is associated with bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by attempts to compensate for calories consumed.  Binge eating is also the central feature in a recently recognized eating disorder - B.E.D.  Less well-known is the fact that many people who suffer from anorexia nervosa also binge periodically.

In addition, untold numbers of people have subclinical eating disorders - any of a number of conditions that do not meet that stringent criteria necessary to ualify for a diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia - or they are so preoccupied with food and weight that their eating behaviors are not "normal".  Often they also struggle with some form of binge eating.  Taken together, millions of Americans are in the grip of both a binge eating problem and disordered eating.

At any given time, tens of millions of people - more than a quarter of all adult men and half of all adult women - are dieting, even if they aren't overweight.  Many see themselves as binge eaters.  Of those seeking treatment for obesity, an estimated 20-50% are binge eaters.  The more severely overweight a person is, the more likely it is that binge eating is a problem.  Younger and younger children are also dieting, which is often a precursor to binge eating.  As a result, disordered eating is reaching epidemic proportions.

Mary Ann: Mary Ann spoke tearfully.  "When it comes to eating, I lose it.  I have a stressful job that keeps me running all day long.  When I get home at night I'm exhausted.  After I get everyone's dinner, I'm ready to collapse.  That's when the eating really starts.  It's not hat I'm hungry.  I just want to stop thinking about everything I have to do, and eating helps me do that.  But I dont like how I look or feel.  I don't feel like having sex anymore, and that's causing trouble in my marriage."

Does this sound familiar to anyone out there?  More on this tomorrow, as I continue to learn more about myself, I'll continue to pass it along to you.  Friends, you're not alone if you struggle with this.  It's a long journey, but I'll be here with you until the end.