Compulsive Overeating

Content

1. Food addiction is a term in quotation marks.
2. Types of eating disorders.
3. What is compulsive overeating.
4. Compulsive overeating: symptoms and diagnostic criteria.
5. 8 myths about compulsive overeating.
6. Causes of psychogenic overeating.
7. Compulsive overeating: treatment and stages of recovery.
8. Compulsive overeating: see a psychologist or fight on your own.

Almost every woman at least once in her life struggled with being overweight. But kilograms usually either do not go away, or they quickly return “with a makeweight”. The struggle with oneself begins. If it seems to you that you no longer have the strength to fight on your own, if you no longer want to exhaust your body with strict diets, risk your health by taking "magic pills", it's time for you to stop fighting the consequences and find the reasons for overeating.

Food addiction - a term in quotation marks

The problem of excess weight is one of the most urgent problems of all time. There are new means or methods that promise weight loss. But at the same time, the body weight of the average person only increases from year to year. So, according to WHO statistics, from 1975 to 2016, the number of obese people worldwide has more than tripled! In 2016, more than 1.9 billion people were overweight in people 18 years of age and older.

The idea that a person can be addicted to food is gaining more and more support. But in order to get rid of the main cause and stop walking in a vicious circle forever, it is necessary to determine the source of the disease.

Addiction is one of the forms of deviant behavior of a person associated with the abuse of something for self-regulation or adaptation. That is, dependence (from drugs, alcohol, smoking and food) is primarily a problem of adaptation. When there is no knowledge, tools and opportunities to go through difficulties in a different way, psychology comes to the rescue.

The need for food is a basic biological need. If we recall A. Maslow's pyramid, we can conclude that food is the foundation, along with water and sleep. But the diet of a modern person is not limited only to the calories necessary for life. That is, the food is not used for its intended purpose. At the same time, taste preferences, the amount of food eaten, the time of eating - all this is individual for each person and is called eating behavior.

Types of Eating Disorders

Overweight and obesity are the result of eating disorders of the type of overeating, when the stimulus to eat is not hunger, but not satiety by the end of the meal. The following violations are distinguished:

• external overeating - associated with high sensitivity to external stimuli;
• restrictive overeating - with prolonged restriction in food;
• emotional overeating - observed during stress or immediately after it.

Eating disorders (eating disorders) occupy a special place in mental disorders. All three types of eating disorders occur in overweight women. But emotional overeating is not only associated with excess weight, it occurs in 30% of women with normal weight and is represented by two subtypes: compulsive overeating and night eating syndrome.

What is binge eating

Compulsive overeating (psychogenic overeating) is an eating disorder that is an excessive consumption of food and leads to excess weight, which is a reaction to distress. People call it gluttony.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the newest eating disorders (EDD) that was included in the international classifier of mental disorders DSM-5 in 2013. It is one of the most common eating disorders in the US, occurring three or more times more often than anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa combined. Three out of ten people who seek help for weight loss show signs and symptoms of emotional overeating.

Compulsive overeating: symptoms and diagnostic criteria

Everyone overeats from time to time. Usually the result of such overeating is heaviness and discomfort in the stomach. If this happens on occasion (long New Year holidays or vacation), then it does not pose much harm. But compulsive overeating has its own striking features.

1. Periodic episodes of overeating. A binge episode is characterized by the following factors: - consumption during a given period of time (for example, within two hours) of an amount of food that is definitely more than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances; - lack of control over the process of saturation (a person cannot stop eating or control what and how much he eats).
2. Overeating episodes include three (or more) items: - eating occurs much faster than usual; - eating to an uncomfortable full stomach; - eating large amounts of food without physical hunger; - eating alone due to feelings of embarrassment about how much one is eating; - feelings of self-loathing, depression or guilt, devastation.
3. Overeating occurs on average at least once a week for three months.
4. Overeating is not associated with the repeated use of compensation methods (through vomiting), as in bulimia.

The following signs can be added to the official criteria for diagnosing compulsive overeating, based on the response of specialists as a result of working with such a mental disorder:

• a history of constant weight fluctuations;
• food becomes the only pleasure;
• a history of numerous unsuccessful diets;
• concern about their own weight;
• rapid weight gain or obesity;
• depression, a tendency to depression and mood swings;
• decreased motor activity;
• low self-esteem and the need to eat more in connection with this.

Among compulsive eaters there are both full and quite slender people. But one thing unites them: they all consider themselves "fat".

8 Myths About Compulsive Overeating

Myth 1: Compulsive overeating is not a real mental disorder. After all, who hasn't eaten a whole bag of chips in front of the TV or five types of salads from the New Year's table? Fact: Many people eat too much from time to time, especially around the holidays. However, for people with a "compulsion", overeating is a serious suffering. Recall that this is a mental disorder that is included in the official classifier used to identify mental health conditions.

Myth 2: All people who overeat are overweight or obese. Fact: You can't tell if someone has a psychogenic type of eating disorder just by looking at them. People who overeat have different body weights. Compulsive overeating also affects slender people. How is this possible? The fact is that the amount of food and the number of calories consumed during overeating, as well as the rate of calorie burning, differ. However, many people with this disorder really cannot control their weight. It is believed that about two-thirds of people with this disorder are obese.

Myth 3. Compulsive overeating is the same as bulimia. Fact: At first glance, bulimia and emotional overeating seem to be similar conditions. People with bulimia and binge eat large amounts of food and feel overwhelmed as a result. However, there is one key difference between the two conditions: after overeating, people with bulimia try to rid themselves of excess calories by "cleansing" their stomach, for example by making themselves vomit, using laxatives or diuretics (diuretic pills), or by exercising excessively.

Myth 4. Compulsive overeating is rare. Fact: Binge eating affects many more people than other eating disorders. Emotional binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the United States, affecting more than 6 million Americans at some point in their lives.

Myth 5. Overeating is something women do all the time when they are stressed.

Fact: Other eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, mostly affect women. Compulsive overeating tends to affect both sexes. Men are about five times more likely to suffer from BED than from another eating disorder. And although this condition is associated with negative emotions and increased stress, remember that this is not the same as the usual case of overeating, for example, eating a box of cookies after a breakup. Instead, people with the disorder feel the need to overeat regularly and cannot control their behavior.

Myth 6: Only teenage girls suffer from eating disorders such as emotional gluttony. Fact: teenagers are really not immune from this and are more susceptible to the influence of emotions due to the peculiarities of hormonal changes. But unlike other eating disorders, it can happen at any age. The average age of onset is 25 years. Among men, this condition occurs more often in middle age.

Myth 7. Psychogenic overeating is not as dangerous as anorexia. Fact: Like other eating disorders, compulsive overeating can cause serious health problems. Many people with this disorder have other emotional or mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. They are more likely to develop substance abuse problems. And those people who are overweight or obese are also at risk for related problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Myth 8. Emotional eating is incurable. Fact: People who receive treatment for eating disorders, including compulsive overeating, can significantly improve their health and quality of life. Psychotherapy can help resolve the emotional issues that cause this disorder and encourage healthier thoughts and habits. Prescription drugs such as antidepressants, some anticonvulsants, and stimulants work great in combination therapy. Such drugs can only be taken under medical supervision. It may help to work with an integrative nutritionist with a psychologist, or participate in a weight loss program for people with eating disorders, where the problem of excess weight is considered as a psychobiosocial problem. That is, the problem has not only physiological and psychological roots, but also triggers of a social nature. Testimonials from happy patients prove that this disease can be cured.

Causes of Compulsive Overeating

Psychogenic overeating can be associated with many reasons. Let's name some of them.

Genes. Eating disorders are usually inherited. If your mother or grandmother used to drink, you are more likely to be addicted. Research shows that a number of genes that affect eating behavior can be passed down in families. These genes may affect the parts of the brain that control appetite and mood.

Scientists have identified a KSR2 gene whose mutation causes people to feel more hungry and burn fewer calories than those who have the normal type of this gene. When the FTO gene is “broken”, the feeling of satiety is blocked - this provokes the desire to eat something sweet or fatty.

A problem with your genes can increase the likelihood of compulsive overeating, but other factors, such as epigenetics, also trigger it. This is the field of genetics that studies how our behavior and environment affect how our genes work.

A family. Perhaps your mom or dad ate a lot. The habits you pick up from the people around you can affect how you eat in general.

Depression. If you are depressed, you are more likely to overeat on a nervous basis. About half of people with compulsive overeating suffer from depression. Scientists aren't sure if overeating causes depression or vice versa.

Low self-esteem. Often people who overeat are unhappy with the way they look. You may think badly about your body because of the negative statements of others. You can compare yourself to TV personas and magazine photos that emphasize thinness. This can give you a so-called negative body image. This low self-esteem can lead to overeating. After overeating, a person feels guilty or ashamed of having eaten too much. These feelings can cause even more psychological discomfort.

Stress and anxiety. Sometimes people overeat after a major stressful event, such as a divorce, a fight with loved ones, or the loss of a job. However, emotional eating may be temporary and may not be compulsive. However, people with the disorder are usually more likely to binge if they are anxious or stressed.

extreme diet. Sometimes trying to lose weight can lead to overeating. This is especially common when people eat unhealthy diets such as skipping meals or eating too little to lose weight. If they don't reach their target weight, they may feel so uncomfortable that they eat even more.

Compulsive overeating: treatment and stages of recovery

How to get rid of compulsive overeating forever? Recovery from compulsive overeating can be unpredictable and protracted over time, with ups and downs. But to understand the direction of action, we will highlight several main stages of recovery.

Researchers call these stages of change.

Stage 1. Preliminary reflection.

You secretly ate food or ate far beyond your satiety point. Your friends and family have noticed that something is wrong. They may have tried to talk to you about what you eat. But you don't see the problem and don't think you need help. You might even get mad at them for interfering.

What you can do now: Understand that overeating is bad for your health. This can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other problems associated with being overweight.

Stage 2. Contemplation.

You already know that you have an eating disorder. You may have even begun to think about getting help or trying to heal yourself with the help of psychology books. But you don't know what to do. You feel stuck between the desire to make things right and the need to keep overeating.

What you can do now: See a specialist—a psychologist, an integrative nutritionist, or another eating disorder specialist. They will help you understand why you overeat and how it affects your life.

Stage 3. Preparation.

You are ready to change. You just need a plan to get started. A carefully selected team of specialists will help you learn how to deal with stress and other problems without food, how to work with negative thoughts, how to overcome obstacles to recovery.

What you can do now: Talk to the friends and family you trust the most. Assemble a support team that you can turn to for help when you need it.

Stage 4: Action.

You have a plan, a treatment group (specialists from different fields), and a support group (family, friends). Now it's time to tackle the eating disorder. During therapy, you will learn new healthy behaviors and ways of thinking that will keep you from overeating.

What you can do now: Realize that this is the most difficult stage. You may have a relapse. But that's no reason to give up. It is important to trust your treatment team. She will work with you to help you get better.

Stage 5: Maintenance.

You have completed a course of treatment (at least six months) and have learned to eat healthier foods. Now you can use the tips and techniques you learned during your treatment to get through tough times without resorting to food.

What you can do now: Focus on new non-food interests. Take up hobbies or take classes, keep an eye on stress and other triggers that may lead you to the next “jam”.

Why does a bad day at the office or a bad breakup make you want to eat a box of cookies or a bag of candy? In a stressful situation, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol, which increases the feeling of hunger. If you have psychogenic binge eating, your body levels of this hormone are already higher than those of people without the disorder, which makes you want to eat.

Do you feel much better after sweets or carbohydrates? There's a reason for this: these foods cause your brain to produce a chemical called serotonin that boosts your mood. This is why cakes, biscuits, and french fries are often referred to as "comfort food," but the feeling of comfort doesn't last long. Soon after you eat this, your blood sugar levels will drop (and you will feel tired).

Compulsive overeating: see a psychologist or fight on your own

Getting rid of compulsive overeating does not happen immediately. It can be difficult to stop overeating on your own, especially if it is associated with serious emotional problems. Working with a counselor can help you discover psychological triggers (such as disturbed body image) that may be driving your behavior. In the process of treatment, you do not need to be afraid of breakdowns. This is fine.

Along with treatment, lifestyle changes are important to speed up and facilitate the recovery process.

Don't forget breakfast. People who overeat have predictable patterns. Many do not eat breakfast, eat a light lunch, and in the afternoon they feel hungry and can no longer stop. Eat at regular times throughout the day. Timely and predictable meals will help you deal with overeating.

Don't tempt yourself. You're more at risk of overeating if junk food and desserts are at arm's length. Plan your meals. Go to the store and enjoy one glass of ice cream. Remove everything unnecessary from the house and do not fill the refrigerator with delicious treats.

Relieve stress. Find ways to get through tough times without the help of food. It can be meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, breathing techniques. Any movement is a great stress reliever that can do wonders for your mood. The naturally uplifting chemicals that physical activity brings can help curb emotional overeating. Stress is not something that happens around you. Stress is a reaction to what is happening. By relieving yourself of stress every day, you will be able to stop the process of overeating.

About the types of fitness told in the article

Avoid labels. Working with black and white thinking. For example: "I overeat, I'm fat, I'm bad." The same goes for food labeling. Food is food, not good and not bad. It can be hard to overcome these biases, but research shows that if you eat food that you think is "bad", you're more likely to overeat.

Make pauses. When you feel like eating, stop for a moment and ask yourself: Am I hungry? Sometimes people are so focused on what they want to eat that they don't stop and ask themselves why they want to eat. If you use food as a coping tool, you may lose touch with your hunger or satiety signals.

Change your environment. A lot of the time, a habit is just being on auto-pilot. Making changes to the environment can bring your attention back to your behavior and enable you to make a purposeful decision. For example, if you always sit in a certain chair while eating, move it to an unfamiliar part of the room or sit in a completely different place. Maybe the company of friends, acquaintances and colleagues also influences the psychology of eating behavior.

Avoid restrictive diets. Overeating and food restrictions are often two sides of the same coin. Diet can be a trigger for overeating just like stress, anger or anxiety. The only way to stop is to permanently eliminate diets from your life.

The main thing is to understand that compulsive overeating can be cured. Recovery is in your hands. You decide when to get treatment, how to find people who can help you succeed and overcome the disease. No one should try to force you to move forward until you are ready for it. Walk at your own pace. As soon as a person gets rid of the words “need to overcome”, he manages to stop and think about the psychological reasons for overeating.

Don't expect you to move in a straight line. You can go through the stages back and forth more than once before you completely get rid of compulsive overeating.