Compulsive Eating Support Groups increase
December 15th, 2005Binge-eating disorder is more prevalent than anorexia or bulimia, according to the National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders. A study by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000 suggested between 0.7 percent and 4 percent of the population suffered from the disorder, but researchers believe the actual figure is much higher.
ABC News recently ran a piece on the growth in support organizations for compulsive eaters:
“Not all overeaters are obese, and not all obese people are overeaters” …The only uniting characteristic is an overwhelming preoccupation with food
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The behavior of compulsive overeaters is distinct from the average person who might indulge in normal “emotional eating” like curling up with a carton of ice cream after a breakup or taking comfort in macaroni-and-cheese on a blue day.
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Those in the throes of a binge feel they cannot stop and they eat until they are physically uncomfortable, according to Overeaters Anonymous.
Some warning signs mentioned in the article:
- Cruising from store to store to hoard tubs of ice cream and bags of cookies to consume in a single sitting.
- Racking up debt from buying food.
- Letting food take precedence over personal relationships and work.
Links:
- Compulsive Eating Support Groups on Rise (ABC / AP, December 8, 2005)
- Overeaters Anonymous
- National Association for Anorexia and Associated Disorders
- Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous
Technorati Tags: eating, disorder, disorders, compulsive, recovery
