Similar to emotional hunger, but more complex in nature, binge eating is a disorder that can become chronic.
The topic of binge eating began to resonate after model Yasmin Brunet revealed on BBB 24 that she suffers from the problem. Diagnosing the condition, however, is not so simple.
This is because compulsion is a type of eating disorder that is often overlooked or confused with less complex emotional problems, such as emotional hunger. Knowing how to differentiate them is essential to treating the source of the problem.
Emotional hunger or compulsion?
Guilherme Cavalcanti, psychoanalyst specializing in mental health at Segmedic, explains that there is a difference between emotional hunger and compulsion.
“Emotional hunger refers to the feeling of hunger that is not related to the physical need for food, but rather to emotional states such as stress, boredom, loneliness, or sadness,” he says.
Therefore, the behavior can lead to overeating even when the person is already satisfied. Additionally, it is often associated with eating to deal with negative emotions.
Binge eating, on the other hand, is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive and uncontrolled food intake, usually over a short period.
“During these episodes, the person feels a loss of control over what they are eating and cannot stop eating, even when they are not physically hungry. After these episodes, there are often feelings of guilt, shame and physical discomfort,” he says the expert.
Causes of binge eating
According to nutritionist Leticia Lariu, also from Segmedic, the causes of binge eating are complex and can include emotional, psychological and biological factors.
“Stress, depression, low self-esteem, a history of restrictive diets, hormonal imbalances and genetic predisposition are some elements that can contribute to binge eating,” says the specialist.
According to her, this condition often involves a complex relationship between emotions and dysregulated eating behaviors.
Guilherme comments that eating disorders generally appear in adolescence or early adulthood and end up causing some damage to the person’s quality of life.
For the psychoanalyst, these disorders, in fact, are dysfunctional strategies, ways that the person finds to deal with life problems, such as development, mood problems, anxiety, interpersonal relationships, etc.
“We can also understand these disorders as a manifestation of various conflicts, which lead the person to try to resolve them through pathological behaviors with the body and food,” explains Guilherme.
Treatment
Leticia warns that in most cases, binge eating becomes a chronic, but completely treatable, disorder. With appropriate treatment and seeking specialized help, most people can learn to control their eating urges and live a healthy, balanced life.
“Continuous therapeutic and nutritional monitoring may be necessary to maintain recovery and avoid relapses,” explains the nutritionist.
The psychoanalyst underlines that in eating disorders, psychotherapies constitute the basis of treatments. After all, it is necessary to take into account the fact that this is a disorder in which the emotional factor is very strong.
“It is worth saying that currently multidisciplinary treatment, with psychologists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, nurses, etc., has been widely practiced,” explains Guilherme.
The expert also explains that eating behavior is a complex phenomenon and that each case must be analyzed in detail.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
