According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, a binge eating episode is “characterized by:
1) The consumption of an unusually large amount of food during a relatively short period of time.
2) Feeling out of control over what and how much is eaten and when to stop”
It also includes the following symptoms:
“1. Eating very quickly
2. Eating regardless of hunger cues, even if one is already full
3. Eating until uncomfortably or painfully full
4. Eating alone due to embarrassment about the type and quantity of food ingested
5. Feelings of self-disgust, guilt, and depression”
It’s considered a disorder, when bingeing episodes occur at least once a week for at least three months. (This could turn into bulimia if the person starts purging what they are bingeing.)
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, LGBTQ+ individuals may be at a higher risk of binge eating disorder than their heterosexual peers.
According to Healthline.com, B.E.D is the most common eating disorder in the United States, with an estimated 2.8 million people who struggle with the disorder, despite it being a lesser known disorder. It generally starts in your late teens and early twenties—for women in their early adulthood, and for men in their midlife.