Overeating is a serious condition characterized by uncontrolled eating and resulting weight gain.
Varieties
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- Paroxysmal – wolf hunger
- Constant appetite
- An insatiable appetite that comes only with eating
- Nocturnal bulimia combined with daytime anorexia
Reasons for overeating
It is not often that the root cause of this state of affairs lies not in a disturbed metabolism, but in the field of the psyche. This is what is known as bulimia nervosa. Two types of people are especially susceptible to this type:
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- People are emotionally unstable, impulsive, capable of random and often inexplicable actions;
- Dependent on others, insecure people who, because of this, are almost constantly in a stressful situation.
It is also known that people eat not only because of the feeling of hunger, but also because they simply love the taste of certain foods.
The main symptoms of overeating
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- weight gain
- depression
- insomnia (sleep disorder)
- suicide
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If you eat a lot, it does not mean that you have this disorder. Experts note that people who suffer from overeating often eat very large amounts of food and feel that they begin to eat uncontrollably. People with this disorder report:
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- eat faster than traditionally;
- eat until they feel discomfort;
- eat large portions of food, even when not hungry;
- they eat alone, because they are ashamed of the amount of food they eat;
- feel disgust, suffer from depression or guilt.
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Binge eating disorder also occurs with another disorder called bulimia nervosa.
Overeating treatment
Identifying eating disorders can be difficult because secrecy, shame, and denial are characteristic of these disorders. As a result, the disease may go undiagnosed for a long time. In most cases, binge eating disorder is identified when a person seeks professional help for weight loss, or seeks help for health problems associated with obesity.
In cases where binge eating disorder is suspected, the physician begins the evaluation by reviewing the person’s complete medical history and physical examination. Although there are no tests to specifically diagnose eating disorders, a doctor can use all sorts of diagnostic tests, such as x-rays and blood tests, to rule out a physical illness as the cause of the symptoms.
If no physical illness is found, he may refer the patient to a psychiatrist or psychologist who are specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists or psychologists use specially designed interviews and assessment tools to understand if a person has an eating disorder.