Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a type of eating disorder characterized by recurring episodes of consuming unusually large amounts of food within a short time frame, often accompanied by a loss of control and feelings of guilt, shame, or distress. Unlike bulimia, BED does not involve purging after eating. Individuals with BED often eat rapidly, until uncomfortably full, when not hungry, or alone due to embarrassment. To be diagnosed, binge eating must occur at least once a week for three months and be associated with emotional distress. A quiz can help assess symptoms and severity, ranging from mild (1–3 episodes/week) to extreme (14+ episodes/week). Remedy Therapy Center offers specialized residential treatment for BED, including individual, group, and family therapy, as well as nutritional education and strategies to build healthy coping mechanisms and improve body image.
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
There are a few types of eating disorders, one of which is called Binge Eating Disorder. Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurring episodes of binge eating, at least once per week for three weeks on average. This type of behavior is where an individual eats much more than someone would in the same time frame.
Binge eating disorder differs from things like bulimia because bulimia manifests with binge eating followed by purging. Without the purging, chances are you struggle with binge eating disorder. Those who struggle with binge eating disorder feel they cannot control or stop the excessive amount of food they eat, and are not only aware of the problem, but often feel shame, guilt, or anxiety around their eating behaviors.
Do I Have Binge Eating Disorder Quiz
If you are asking, “Do I have a binge eating disorder,” one way to figure out more about what might be the cause or symptoms of your behavior is to take our binge eating disorder quiz. Below are several questions that can help you determine whether binge eating might be something with which you struggle.
Question #1:
Do you have recurrent episodes of binge eating?
Binge eating must have both of the following:
- Eating in a set amount of time, like a 2-hour timeframe, an amount of food larger than what most people would eat under the same circumstances in the same time frame
- Feeling like you cannot control how much you eat, or cannot stop eating
If yes, move on to question 2.
Question #2:
Are your binge eating episodes associated with at least three of the following?
- Eating much more rapidly than normal
- Eating until you feel uncomfortably full
- Eating large amounts of food even though you aren’t physically hungry
- Eating alone because you are embarrassed by how much you eat
- Feeling disgusted with yourself, guilty, or depressed after eating
If yes, move on to question 3.
Question #3:
Do you experience noticeable distress associated with your binge eating?
If yes, move on to question 4.
Question #4:
Does your binge eating occur, on average, at least once a week for 3 months?
If yes, move on to question 5.
Question #5:
Is your binge eating associated with inappropriate compensatory behavior?
If yes, then you might have bulimia instead, but if no, move on to question 6.
Question #6:
Have you previously fit the criteria above but have not had binge episodes recently?
This answer does not rule in or out having binge eating disorder, but rather helps decide if you have a current problem or have struggled with binge eating in the past.
Question #7:
How severe is your binge eating?
Describe the level of severity based on the frequency of binge eating episodes, based on the following:
- Mild: 1-3 binge-eating episodes per week
- Moderate: 4-7 binge-eating episodes per week
- Severe: 8-13 binge-eating episodes per week
- Extreme: 14 or more binge-eating episodes per week
This, too, does not rule in or out having binge eating disorder but rather helps determine the severity.
Getting Help for Binge Eating Disorder
If you have taken this quiz and answered affirmatively to the questions, it’s time to get help. At Remedy Therapy Center, we provide comprehensive Residential Care programs for binge eating disorder.
Our residential programs include a mixture of individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and experiential therapy. Our therapeutic approach is designed to empower each client to change their body image perception, learn more about nutrition and the important role it plays in all aspects of health, and design coping mechanisms and strategies for situations where they might be triggered or tempted to binge eat.
Find Help Today
If you are worried and asking, “Do I have a binge eating disorder?” you can take the quiz above or call our treatment center for an initial assessment. Know that an official diagnosis should come from a qualified professional, but this online quiz can give you a starting point to determine whether or not you need help, and if so, how Remedy Therapy Center can be there for you.
Call our team today if you are worried that you might have a binge eating disorder and see how we can help.
FAQ
How Common is Binge Eating Disorder?
According to the DSM, binge eating disorder is 2-3 times higher in women than in men, and impacts an average of 1-2% of the population.
Is Binge Eating Disorder Unhealthy?
Yes, binge eating disorder can be very unhealthy and usually occurs in people who are overweight or obese. Though it does differ from obesity and is not necessarily associated with obesity, people who participate in binge eating behaviors are more likely to consume excess calories, have a lower quality of life, greater functional impairment, and psychiatric comorbidity.
Can Binge Eating Disorder Hurt Your Social Life?
Yes. Binge eating disorder is not only physically and mentally unhealthy, but it can also impact your social life. Studies indicate that binge eating disorder can decrease life satisfaction, overall quality of life, and social engagement.
How Does Binge Eating Disorder Start?
There is little known about how binge eating disorder develops. It is common in adolescents, college-aged young adults, and adults, but it is not abnormal for someone to experience binge eating cycles throughout their lives. Binge eating disorder can start in young adulthood or late adulthood.
What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge eating disorder can be caused by many things, but at present, it appears to run in families. This means that there might be a genetic component such that if you have a family member with binge eating disorder, you are at a higher risk of developing it yourself.
How is Binge Eating Disorder Different From Other Eating Disorders?
It is common to be misdiagnosed with other eating disorders or other conditions like depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, or obesity because they can have similar symptoms, such as increased eating, that may or may not be associated with a loss of control. However, the biggest differentiator between binge eating disorder and other eating disorders with binge eating behaviors is that binge eating disorder is not followed by purging behaviors, which are more heavily associated with bulimia, and the excess food intake differentiates it from anorexia.