Compulsive eating disorder, also known as binge eating disorder, is a distressful problem for millions of people in the United States. However, this affliction dwells in the shadow of less prevalent eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The purpose of this article is to shed some more light on compulsive eating disorder.
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It's the beginning of another new year, so I'm going to discuss the topic of overeating. Since masses of people across America are making new years resolutions that revolve around weight control, I feel this is an opportune time to broach this issue once again.
To get everyone up to speed, I previously wrote a piece entitled Confessions of a Nurse Who Compulsively Eats, which described compulsive eating disorder (also known as binge eating disorder) and listed all of the signs and symptoms of this affliction.
After successfully losing 40 pounds during the early part of last year and getting down to a near-normal weight, I regretfully announce that I've regained 22 pounds over a period of eight months. My distorted eating habits returned with full force starting in May of last year and I never quite jumped back on the wagon. I feel disappointed and disgusted.
I plan to jump back on the wagon starting today. Before I implement this lifestyle change, I will make some more confessions with which many compulsive eaters and binge eaters can identify.
The compulsive eater's thoughts are preoccupied with food.
I visited a local zoo with my cousins at the age of nine. Honestly, I do not remember one single animal from that trip, but I clearly recall the smell and taste of the pizza that I ate from the snack bar. Sleepovers, birthday parties, and school lunches never really carried any social importance to me, but I remember with striking clarity the snacks and meals associated with these events.
The compulsive eater watches what (s)he eats while in public.
My former boss, an engineer whom I'll call Dan, weighed more than 400 pounds even though he conspicuously ate a cup of 100-calorie fat-free yogurt and drank bottled water at lunchtime every day in the cafeteria for many years. I strongly suspect he was a closet binge eater who ate copious amounts of food in the privacy of his home.
I watch what I eat in public to avoid attracting negative attention. In fact, the all-you-can-eat buffet is one of the only places where you'll witness binge eaters consuming multiple plates of food in the public eye. The typical binge eater packs a light, healthy lunch for public view (school or work) while eating large quantities of food in private.
Compulsive eating has a strong emotional component.
I'm usually not hungry when I'm compulsively eating. I go on food binges because eating feels comforting in response to unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anxiety, nervousness, anger, or jealousy.
I've gained and lost large amounts of weight over the years.
I will be 32 years old in a few weeks. During my adult life I've been as light as 115 pounds and as heavy as 216 pounds. I'm currently somewhere in the middle of these two numbers. The most I've lost is 60 pounds. The most I've gained is 100 pounds. Yo-yo dieting has been the story of my adolescence and adulthood.
I realize I will always have issues with food. Although I wish I could seek professional help for this problem and the rest of my underlying emotional issues, I'm currently uninsured. Millions of people in the U.S. are compulsive eaters, the majority of whom are acutely aware that something is very wrong. Overeaters Anonymous (www.oa.org) is a free and helpful resource. With proper help, compulsive eating disorder can be remedied.
I'll keep you all posted on my progress. I cling to the promise of a new year and will conjure up the confidence to change my thoughts, health, and life for the better.
