Due to commitments, lack of rest and increasingly pressing expectations, anxiety and stress are two conditions that are very present in our daily life. This happens because we live in a hyper-frenetic society, focused on appearance and competition, which gives no respite.
All this could have negative repercussions on our psychophysical state, especially as regards nutrition. In fact, more and more people do not give weight either to what they eat, or to the way they do it. Our society has therefore now become fertile ground for the development of so-called eating disorders. They are essentially three: anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.
Today we will focus our attention on the latter disorder, analyzing the causes and possible therapies to undergo.
In addition to depression, anxiety and stress may also increase the risk of developing this eating disorder
Binge eating disorder is characterized by the presence of recurrent episodes of binge eating. Generally, those affected feel the urgent need to eat large quantities of food in a short time, without necessarily being hungry. After these binges, which usually occur in private, people feel shame, embarrassment and self-hatred.
The causes of this disorder are not yet fully known. What we do know is that you may be more exposed to depression, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with your body, anger, boredom or loneliness. Furthermore, anxiety and stress could also accentuate this mechanism; as well as the presence of traumatic events that occurred in the past.
Finally, in some cases, this disorder could occur following a strict diet, which for example included the elimination of certain meals or foods.
Possible Risks and Treatments
Therefore, care should be taken because in addition to depression, anxiety and stress would also be among the risk factors for binge eating disorder.
The consequences of this disorder are not only linked to obesity, but also to the onset of cardiovascular diseases such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and diabetes.
For this reason it is important, in case of wrong eating habits, to contact your doctor or nutritionist. To treat binge eating disorder, there are usually multiple approaches. In fact, as several studies report, among the therapies that seem to be more effective, we find:
- cognitive behavioral therapy;
- interpersonal psychotherapy.
These two approaches, in fact, would give rise to remission rates equal to or greater than 60%, with a marked improvement in the long term. However, with this type of treatment, there is typically no significant weight loss in obese patients.
In addition to this, adequate drug therapy may also be effective. Antidepressant drugs are usually prescribed that can increase serotonin levels, to improve mood and eating habits. The latter, however, would have short-term efficacy in appeasing the urge to overeat and the long-term effects are not yet known.