While many people are aware of what food binging is all about, some may not be aware that binge eating is divided into two groups.
1. Binging and Purging (This is where food is consumed followed by self-induced vomiting.)
2. Binging without Purging (There is no induced vomiting.)
We will be addressing the second type of binging in this article (no purging). This problem is more common than many realize as some 3% of adults suffer from this disorder.
If you limit your view to only obese adults, the percentages climb to 10% to 15%. Clearly, this is more of a problem for obese people.
An important discovery by researchers is that dieting is frequently associated with binging. Since binging is often related to stress, this finding is not really a surprise. Many people use food as a means of coping with stress. For many, binging is a form of self-medicating away feelings of anxiety and frustration. The stress of dieting is more than enough to act as a trigger.
When food is used in this way, it becomes a type of addiction. Unfortunately, like most addictions, binging carries the sufferer through a circular nightmare.
At first binging relieves stress and/or anxiety around some event that is bothering the binger. But at some point, realization sets in about how much food has been consumed. This in turn leads to thoughts of being a failure, followed by quilt and shame. In other words, the binger finds him/herself back at the beginning, feeling stressed and needing relief.
Round and round and round?
If you or someone you care about is a chronic binger, realize these important points:
1. This may not be a problem that can be fixed without help.
2. Professional help is available.
However, if you feel that this is something that can be handled alone, consider some of these proven approaches:
1. Stay away from aggressive calorie reduction. Aim for a maximum loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week.
2. To make your diet more enjoyable and reduce stress, budget two hundred calories a day for foods that you really like.
3. NEVER go more than 4 hours without food.
4. Work on more of less. Four to six smaller meals a day will go a long way to easing the urge to binge.
5. Research shows that the body likes a schedule. Design a time table and do your best to stick to it.
Exercise, some form of sports, meditation and other such activities can help to reduce the effects of stress. Another approach is reframing. In this approach, you learn to view events differently so that in the end, you don’t have the same emotional response. In other words, you can learn to view the world in a non-stressful manner.
