BINGE EATING
Binge eating disorder develops based on a mixture of genetic, environmental and social constructs. The focus on this blog is the social/ family aspect of eating patterns.
Food is such a major component of cultural, social and family dynamics. It is used as part of celebrations, for religious ritualization, cultural events and a learned self-soothing habit. We have cake for birthday parties, a cultural dish to help when you are sick (like chicken soup), and a special treat when you are sad (warm cookies) or a special dinner on major occasions. Having food for every occasion can lend to the use of food as a negative coping skill because it has become a learned behavior. Binge eating / obesity will run in families due to the way food is used to deal with feeling or emotions. Memories are strongly tied to our senses: taste reminds use of a positive experience, the smell of food may remind us of a family member that cooked, and touch could be helping cook a special meal and the sound of a specific food cooking to bring back a special memory.
“From infancy, we establish a connection with our caregivers based on how our most instinctual needs are met. “ (Karges, 2018) One of our most instinctual needs is food and it is a major part of the bonding moments with a mother. According to Hamberg, The sharing of food can increases closeness to others like our parents making our favorite dessert when we are upset or sharing food at times of crisis. The use of food can become a supportive behavior and if no other self-soothing behavior is taught then food become the primary means to sooth self and others. The use of food in as a coping and self-soothing tool within the family can lead to binge eating disorders among members. According to Karges, some ways self-soothing through food is taught is by giving a food as a reward, a bribery to behave a certain way or used to comfort a child in destress. It is like replacing their favorite blanket or toy with a cookie every time they get upset.
There is also a genetic connection with binge eating and comorbid disorders like depression so families have learned to cope with the depression by using food. In the study, Parent binge eating and depressive symptoms as predictors of attrition in a family-based treatment for pediatric obesity, There is a correlation between parental mental illness and binge eating disorder and children developing the same patterns of behavior and diagnosis. If the behavior continues then it will be passed down multi-generationally.
The best way to assist in treating or preventing binge eating disorder is through the family system by changing eating patterns and the use of food in emotional regulation. In order for recovery to become effective the family needs to be involved in treatment to help reduce familial patterns in future generations and to support positive change.
References
Braden AL, Madowitz J, Matheson BE, Bergmann K, Crow SJ, Boutelle KN. Parent binge eating and depressive symptoms as predictors of attrition in a family-based treatment for pediatric obesity. Child Obes. 2015;11:1659. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4382825/
Hamburg, M. E., Finkenauer, C., & Schuengel, C. (2014). Food for love: The role of food offering in empathic emotion regulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00032 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00032/full
Karges, K. (2018). Binge Eating Disorder and Family Patterns of Self-Soothing. Eating Disorder Hope. Retrieved from https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/binge-eating-disorder/binge-eating-disorder-and-family-patterns-of-self-soothing.
Written By: Karen Limme LPC Intern, Exult Healthcare
Eating away a Disorder
According to the CDC almost 40% of adults over the age of 20 are considered obese. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above. Obesity remains the leading cause of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. For many, weight gain is a result of medical issues or a side effect of medications.
For others it could be due to disordered eating behaviors that include stress eating, eating when full, eating in secret or feeling loss of control while eating. Emotional eating is the act of using food to satisfy one’s emotional needs rather than to satisfy hunger. Most people identify as emotional eaters, after all, who hasn’t come home from a hard day at work and wanted to eat pizza or sat down with a pint of ice cream after a break-up?
Although this might sound like binge eating, it is very different from an actual diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder (BED). BED is characterized by out of control eating that occurs frequently, is out of control and leaves a person with intense feelings of guilt and shame. BED occurs when a person eating an amount of food not normal for them in one sitting, at least twice a month.
In a binge episode, people tend of eat thousands of calories of highly processed foods (e.g. pizza, fast food, ice cream, candy, cookies), rapidly, in secret and until they are uncomfortably full (even then some). People tend to use the term “binge” to describe over eating, but BED is an eating disorder that needs to be addressed by a multidimensional team of professionals like a medical doctor, dietitian and a therapist.
Written by Cynthia D’Sauza,
Clinical Director, LPC, LMFT, PhD
BED-7 Test ( This test is a diagnostic and does not reflect Exult’s view)
1. During the last 3 months, did you have any episodes of excessive overeating?
2. Do you feel distressed about your episodes of excessive overeating?
3. During your episodes of excessive overeating, how often did you feel like you had no control over your eating?
4. During your episodes of excessive overeating, how often did you continue eating even though you were not hungry?
5. During your episodes of excessive overeating, how often were you embarrassed by how much you ate?
6. During your episodes of excessive overeating, how often did you feel disgusted with yourself or guilty afterward?
7. During the last 3 months, how often did you make yourself vomit as a means to control your weight or shape?