Compulsive overeating

One form of eating disorder that is sadly considered quite 'normal' in today's world is compulsive overeating. Due to the fact that the short-term health risks aren't quite as severe as that with anorexia and because compulsive overeating is so much more prevalent, very often it doesn't get the attention it deserves as an actual eating disorder.

But if left to persist long enough, compulsive overeating can definitely be a very serious condition and needs to be dealt with properly.

Let's take a closer look at what this disorder is all about.

What Compulsive Overeating Is

Compulsive overeating is essentially defined as sitting down to eat a meal (or a series of foods) that goes far beyond what you would need to take in to feel comfortably full. Often those who suffer from compulsive overeating won't even be fully aware of what they are doing when they are in a binge but just keep shovelling food into their mouth until they are so full they are in physical pain.

Unlike the bulimia eating disorder where the binge is associated with a purging method, the compulsive overeater does not do this so very often, depending on the frequency of the episodes, they will end up very overweight.

It's not abnormal to see these individuals consuming 5000 or more calories in a sitting, so this quickly adds up in terms of pounds gained on the scale.

Who Is Impacted By Compulsive Overeating

Almost everyone has suffered from overeating at some point in their life (Christmas dinner being a prime example) but those who have serious food addictions or who use food as a coping method are far more likely to develop compulsive overeating.

Those who are overweight and have poor eating habits are more likely to develop compulsive overeating since they are used to eating high volumes of unhealthy food.

Take note though that this does not eliminate dieters. In some cases a dieter who has felt very restricted with their food intake for years will rebel by developing compulsive overeating. They feel like they've been restricting for so long that when they finally do give themselves permission to eat, they eat uncontrollably.

Health Risks Associated With Overeating

There are a number of health risks that will be associated with overeating. First is the development of diabetes. Since most people who suffer from this disorder are eating foods high in sugar or fat, they will be wreaking havoc on their blood glucose and insulin levels.

With the high intakes of saturated fat they may also set themselves up for heart disease and due to the fact that they will become overweight, they'll also be at risk for any other negative health effects associated with excess weight (bone pain, stroke, cardiovascular disease, etc).

Seeking Help

If you or someone you know is suffering from compulsive overeating, getting help will be critical. Often proper counselling to assess the underlying reason behind the binges will be required and then proper treatment protocols will need to be carried out.

As this is one habit that is very hard to break, relapses are quite common but if the individual wants to overcome it bad enough, the prognosis is good.

Educating the individual about proper eating behaviours will also be very helpful, so that needs to be looked at as well.

So there you have the main things to note about compulsive overeating. It is quite a serious disorder as well and if left to go on long enough, could be very harmful to the sufferer's health since they will become overweight.