How Changes in the Brain Can Cause Binge Eating
Everyone overeats from time to time, but the main difference between overeating and binging is the loss of control. We binge eat until the physical pain is too much or there isn’t anything left to eat.
For me, my binging started as emotional overeating (eating when not hungry). I used it to self-soothe the loneliness away that I felt as a young child growing up. As I got older it expanded to any negative emotion that I didn’t want to feel like anger, stress, anxiety, fear, resentment. My overeating had grown into Binge Eating Disorder (BED) which has aspects of addiction and compulsion. I was addicted to sugar, fat and salt. Once I started eating a trigger food, I was powerless to stop it. But even if I could’ve stopped, the thought that I could handle a small amount would overpower all other thoughts until I felt compelled to start eating it and the cycle would begin again. I felt ashamed, guilty, and upset about the weight I was gaining. But I couldn’t help myself. My disease was too powerful for me.
However, the binge eating cycle can also start when trying to lose weight. Restrictive diets can lead to constant feelings of hunger or cravings, which can lead to a binge. In the long term, binge eating can affect the brain by raising the risk of memory loss.
Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder (BED):
Eating a large amount of food in a short period of time.
Eating in isolation because of guilt, shame or embarrassment.
Uncontrollable eating past satiety until very painful or nothing is left.
Feelings of disgust and self-hatred for lack of control.
Extreme weight fluctuations.
Low self-esteem, hopelessness, helplessness.
Symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.
Changes in brain structure that result in a heightened response to food and less self-control.
Causes:
The exact cause of binge eating is unknown, but there are multiple factors to consider:
Biology
Genetics
Environmental factors
Psychology
Biology
Irregularities in hormones that control appetite, hunger, and blood sugar may contribute to the development of eating disorders.
The amygdala is the primary area of the brain controlling appetite with response to emotions. It helps coordinate responses to things that trigger an emotional response, such as anger, anxiety and fear. The amygdala also plays an important role in the storage and retrieval of emotional memories. Also, abnormalities in the brain can trigger impulsivity and compulsivity. These affect attention span and decision making capability. These changes in brain structure can result in a heightened response to food and less self-control.
The risk of this is increased in obesity, but can be hindered by deep breathing, slowing down, focusing your thoughts, being mindful, praying, meditating, and staying in the present moment.
Genetics
It is common to see eating disorders run in families, which implies that they may be inheritable. The risk of developing an eating disorder increases not only from genetics, but also the environment usually produced from living with a binger induces others to follow.
Environmental Factors
Excessive stress can contribute to binging, as food can be used as a coping mechanism. Relationship issues with family, friends and coworkers, and others, as well as career, finances, and home environment can also be stressful. If family members have an unhealthy attitude towards food, such as using it as a coping tool or reward there’s a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder.
Psychology
There is a link between eating disorders and other mental health conditions. About half of people who have binge eating disorder also have another mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or a history of substance abuse.
Other Types of Eating Disorders:
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves binge eating. Bulimics will eat an excessive amount of food and then, to avoid gaining weight, will “purge'', which means they induce vomiting. Other ways of preventing weight gain are food deprivation after a binge or exercising excessively. When exercise is not possible, bingers may show signs of distress.
The symptoms of bulimia are constipation, dehydration, negative thoughts, feeling stressed, out of control behavior, depression, irregular period, low blood pressure, and weight fixation.
Anorexia Nervosa
People with anorexia nervosa often think they are overweight no matter how much weight they lose. Anorexia nervosa mostly affects women and young girls, but it can also affect men. Anorexics have a distorted body image and try to lose weight through excessive exercise and/or starvation.
If they are not treated, it can lead to many physical and mental complications such as malnourishment, depression, kidney failure, poor memory, dizziness, weakness, mood swings, bloating, slowed thinking, fainting, and can eventually be fatal.
Treatments:
Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching
An integrative nutrition health coach (holistic) will guide clients either individually or in group sessions to make small sustainable lifestyle changes and create healthy habits to replace unhealthy ones. They will navigate together the obstacles to health goals, including but not limited to, relationships, finances, physical activity, career, social life, home environment, and spirituality. They will explore the thoughts and feelings that can trigger binge eating and brainstorm more positive and beneficial ways to cope with them.
Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
Psychiatrists and psychotherapists deal with patients/clients on a more vigorous and deeper level that have additional disorders such as bipolar, suicidal depression, general anxiety disorder, etc.
Conclusion
Binge eating disorder, like other eating disorders, has harmful effects on mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. If you or someone you know may be suffering from this disorder, seek advice from the appropriate healthcare professional.
