We’re all known to overeat every once in a while, whether it’s that extra piece of garlic bread or an another serve of cake. But at what point does this behaviour become problematic?

Binge-eating disorder is an eating disorder where an individual will frequently consume unhealthily large portions of food and feel unable to stop over a prolonged period of time.

The scary part? It’s much more common than you’d think.

What Is Binge-Eating Disorder?

Research from Eating Disorders Victoria has found that “binge-eating disorder is more common than anorexia or bulimia”. In fact, Healthline discovered that “Binge-eating disorder affects three times the number of people diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia combined”. It’s even more prevalent than illnesses such as breast cancer, HIV and schizophrenia.

Some symptoms include over-eating past the point of feeling full, eating rapidly and eating uncommonly large portions of food in private. However, some of the most indicative symptoms are the emotional factors behind eating. These include eating to minimise grief or anxiety and feeling waves of shame or disgust after eating.

How Much Do We Know About It? 

Binge-eating disorder was only discovered as a distinct eating disorder in 2013, therefore many of the people affected by it remain unaware that they are suffering from it. This may also be the reason why it’s still scarcely covered in Australian health education curriculums.

Sam Ikin also touched on this lack of education surrounding the disorder in an opinion piece for the ABC. He references how binge-eating disorder, “the most common of all eating disorders”, barely ever gets a mention by organisations who work to minimise the impact and prevalence of such disorders.

Stretchmarks Podcast Host and binge-eating activist Amber Ryder, believes that this is due to a lack of mainstream media attention and limited health education focus in our schools.

The notion of addiction in this disorder is imperative to its comprehension.

“It’s not really thought about in school,” Ryder tells Uni Junkee. Ryder believes that the prevalence of this eating disorder is something that requires a greater deal of attention from our education system to ensure that support networks are accessible to everyone who suffers from it. “It’s not easy to stop… It’s an addiction,” she says.

The notion of addiction in this disorder is imperative to its comprehension. The habitual element causes people to stay stuck in their behaviours and the addiction to unhealthy food is strengthened the longer the disorder is left untreated.

As with many eating disorders, psychologists believe that binge-eating is the externalisation of underlying mental health issues. Many of its sufferers are often also diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

For a lot of individuals dealing with this illness, food is perceived to be a refuge, used to evoke a feeling of numbness that makes daily mental stresses more bearable.

Unfortunately, this is often followed by feelings of guilt and disappointment which are also driving factors in keeping those affected by the disorder stuck in their habits.

How To Get Help

So how can we support those affected by this disorder? It’s important to note that being overweight is not synonymous with this disorder. However, if you’re worried about yourself or someone else who may potentially suffer from binge-eating disorder, consult a healthcare professional to get the assistance needed.

Many individuals dealing with this disorder will seek out the assistance of a psychologist who’ll often use cognitive behavioural therapy to work on changing the behaviours associated with binge-eating. Seeing a psychologist also has the advantage of obtaining a proper diagnosis for this behaviour.

Ryder believes that seeing a psychologist in conjunction with a nutritionist are two of the most effective ways to begin treatment for this disorder.

“Seek out a dietician,” Ryder says. “Talk to your family about it if you’re struggling.”

As with many addictions, the key to overcoming this destructive behaviour is by ensuring that the person affected has a good support network in place. Maintaining a healthy relationship with family and friends is imperative to recovery; similar to non-food related addictions.

Binge-eating disorder – despite being less well known to the general public – is a very serious eating disorder. As with any addictive and destructive behaviours, it is important to seek help before problematic behaviour gets out of hand.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder or mental illness, you can find help by seeking advice from a counsellor or calling Lifeline on 13 11 14.