Binge There, Done That: Comfort Eating vs Binge Eating Disorder

"We are what we eat" isn't a common saying for nothing. Every cell in our body is made up of the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. In other words, food is our identity and our lifestyle is based on the type of food we eat and how we eat it. How and what we eat also reflects on our health and you can make out from a person’s health about the type of food that they eat. To ensure that you have a healthy lifestyle you must make sure that you eat healthy food that can provide your body with more proteins, nutrients and minerals.

Healthy Ways to Manage Your Food

While most people eat to stay healthy and to maintain their hectic lifestyle, there are millions who suffer from eating disorders and that can lead to poor health over a period of time. 

For people who are suffering from eating disorders this can be difficult because they constantly crave for more food, but eating disorders can be handled and cured, if right precautions are taken.

Patients that suffer from binge eating disorder often believe that they have a certain health disorder, but it is more of an emotional disorder where patients do not have control over their consumption of food. The excessive indulgence of food or drinks often leads to eating disorders. The best way to maintain a healthy relationship with your food is to ensure that you control the amount of food you eat. When we talk about controlling the amount of food we eat, most people think of diet plans. 

Although diet plans are designed to help you lose weight, it does not work effectively for those who are suffering from binge eating disorder (BED). According to DSM-IV (Diagnostic  and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders) released in 1994 binge eating disorder was listed in Appendix B and had to be diagnosed with the non-specific EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). However, in 2013, DSM-5 made it official that binge eating disorder is an actual eating disorder diagnosis.

On the other hand, binge eaters also feel that they should skip certain meals of the day day which would help them burn more calories and that would reflect on their weight. However, binge eaters feel the urge to eat even when they are not hungry, which means the intensity of the urge to eat after skipping meals would be more intense, and again that would trigger overeating. 

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Eating disorders can urge you to eat more food and therefore it is also recommended that you do not stock your refrigerator with food, especially foods with high sugar and fat content. Most binge eaters feel the urge to eat foods that have high sugar and fat content. Binge eaters also have to constantly remind themselves that they need to eat food to nourish their body and not just for the sake of eating it. This takes some practice, but it helps to control the urge and to divert attention.

Are You A Comfort Eater Or A Binge Eater?

What’s The Difference?

Eating disorders are often misunderstood by the people at large because most disorders are related to overeating. Patients that suffer from such disorders tend to overeat and have health problems like obesity which is why the general perception is that all eating disorders are the same, however, that’s not true. Millions across the globe are emotional eaters or comfort eaters, but they are not binge eaters. 

As per the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, binge eaters have recurrent episodes of binge eating which means eating in a discrete period of time, an amount of food which is definitely more than most normal people would eat under similar circumstances. It can also be a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode. On the other hand, comfort eating is more related to the mood of a person. So emotional eaters love to eat food when they socialize, express love, have fun, or when they are rewarding themselves. This is why they are called emotional eaters — the eating process is related to their emotions. 

Another DSM-5 diagnostic criterion indicates that binge eating disorder is characterized by eating more rapidly than normal, or when the eater is eating until uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food when not hungry, eating alone out of embarrassment or when feeling disgusted with oneself, and being depressed or feeling guilty later on. Emotional eating comparatively is more of a public affair. Emotional eaters love to socialize and eat with their friends, family and colleagues and they let their emotions flow so that they can eat more.  They eat normally and in limited quantities while they talk to other people around.

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria indicate that binge eating disorder occurs on average at least once a week for three months. Comfort eating is more like a compulsion when socializing and at parties, and therefore comfort eaters have a great degree of control over their food indulgence when they’re not with people and they’re busy with other work. Comfort eaters do not experience an episode to overeat and therefore they are different from binge eaters. Binge eating disorder is also not associated with the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behavior.

Binge eaters crave food — and almost any kind of food works for them. They can consume large quantities of vegetables and fruits and even desserts and satisfy their hunger. However, emotional eaters crave for comfort foods like pizzas, burgers, desserts and so on. They are emotionally connected to the food they eat and they prefer sugary snacks that can provide them an emotional push.

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Conclusion

Although comfort eating and binge eating disorder are psychiatric eating disorders and can be controlled through self-restraint, the fact is that people suffering from such eating disorders must consult health professionals including physicians, nutritionists and psychiatrists to control their eating behaviours. There are certain therapies that can help you to keep track of the food you eat and how often you eat to help you switch to healthy food habits. The therapy also works on how binge and comfort eaters can make use of the relationships to control their emotions and urge to eat.