Binge-eating is major U.S. health problem - study

Out-of-control binge eating is the biggest eating disorder in the United States, more common than anorexia and bulimia combined and contributing to a rise in obesity, researchers said on Thursday.

Binge eating afflicts 3.5 percent of U.S. women and 2 percent of men at some point in their lives, according to a study by psychiatric researchers at Harvard University Medical School and its affiliate, McLean Psychiatric Hospital.

He said binge eating - where people cannot stop from eating well beyond the point of being full at least twice a week - is a chronic and persistent condition in the United States that is under-reported and under-diagnosed.

Courtesy Reuters

Bonnie - binge eating is a socially acceptable addiction, much like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. People often crave foods to which they are intolerant. When they try to stop eating them, they go through an uncomfortable withdrawal, so continue eating them.

A yeast imbalance (causing extreme carbo cravings) is another common cause of binge eating.

In addition, when macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) are out of balance, and key micronutrients (especially magnesium and zinc) are missing, people do not get the comforting feeling of fullness and satiety, so they continue eating more and more.

I have been very successful in treating binge eating in my 22 years of practice because I look for the causes, and work to fix them.