Eating disorders are mental health disorders that cause an unhealthy relationship with food and disordered eating habits. What starts as an obsession with food, weight, and body type can spiral into a severe disorder that can cause serious health consequences. The three main types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Binge eating is considered among the most common eating disorders in the United States.
Binge eating is associated with a lot of myths, including the following:
1. Binge eating disorder is not a big deal
Remember and note that binge eating disorder is a serious medical as well as a mental health condition. Hence, it needs correct and timely treatment. Binge eating disorder can significantly lower your quality of life. It commonly leads to various psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, intense feelings of low self-worth, etc. In addition to this, it also leads to multiple health issues, for example, heart disease, cholesterol issues, and high blood pressure. If binge eating disorder is not treated on time, it can also affect social and mental well-being such as motivation, attention, concentration, relationships, work productivity, energy level, and self-esteem.
2. Binge eating disorder is similar to overeating
This assumption is incorrect because both these types of eating disorders are not similar. Overeating at a meal due to its mouth-watering taste does not mean that you have developed the disorder of binge eating. Binge eating means you cannot control your eating habits and are unable to stop eating certain foods even if you want to.
3. Binge eating disorder only impacts overweight people
This is not true. Binge eating disorder can affect people with any body size. Once the symptoms of binge eating develop, you slowly start gaining weight and become overweight and obese.
4. It is easy to fix a binge eating disorder
Binge eating is one of the most complex types of eating disorders. It ideally cannot be fixed by eating less or simply by altering the type and amount of food. The treatment of binge eating should be commenced under the supervision of a certified medical practitioner and dietitian. This will help in avoiding any adverse impact on the body by keeping the nutrient as well as mineral storehouse intact.
5. Dieting or losing weight helps you to keep away from binge eating
This too is not true. It is quite the opposite. If you are adopting this route, be careful. Consult a certified dietitian before starting on any diet.