There are millions of people that struggle with an eating disorder. Many do not know what is happening. The symptoms may be there but can be hard to recognize. We often use terms like “greedy” or “eating too much”. These can be normal, but can also be a sign that you have an eating disorder.
Binge eaters can consume 2,000 to 3,200 calories in a day. 2,000 calories would seem like you made the calorie goal, but these calories were consumed in a matter of a few hours. It makes the person feel exhausted, guilty, shame, and as if they have no control. The truth is there is no control and no formula for when the binge eating episode will happen for most binge eaters.
Currently, a phrase has been coined on social media, food vlogs, and blogs. The phrase is “foodporn” or being a “foodie”. Many people watch reality TV shows like “My 600lb Life”. These phrases and shows overshadow the issues that are really going on for millions of Americans.
Some binge eaters will consume 3,000 to 4,000 calories in a few hours. We see this on “My 600lb Life”. The saddest part about these binge eating issues they could lead to death or physical issues over time. You can choke on all that food sitting in your digestive system if it starts to come back up through your esophagus. We have heard on the show that death has occurred for these individuals.
The truth is that many people struggle with eating disorders that go undiagnosed for years. Also, for some, it may never be diagnosed. This depends on how distorted their view or connection is with food. Also, how disabling it is for the person.
There is support for individuals who suffer from binge eating. Many people learn to manage their binge eating a lot better over time. They may still have episodes because of the years of no diagnosis or treatment. Over time with treatment, these episodes are less frequent and can go away completely. There is a high demand for eating disorder specialists in the US. Access to specialists who treat eating disorders is limited though the demand is high.
Staying fit and active often helps curve the issues with weight and weight gain for binge eaters. Many fail to manage a healthy weight due to battling issues tied to binge eating like, depression, anxiety, shame, and guilt.
Also, some binge eaters may realize they have an obsession with food. Some signs are a person always stating “I’m hungry”, I’m hungry” but have just eaten. This becomes an issue if a short time has passed since their last meal. It takes approximately four hours to digest a single meal.
If you face the issue of not actually knowing when you are hungry or just have an urge to eat that is a problem. Being hungry means you have had the absence of food in your body for an extended period of time. It also means your body is in need of food or fuel to function. The urge to eat means you have food in your body or enough fuel to function, but you have the urge or a desire to eat.
National Eating Disorders Association Eating Disorder Resources
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