What are the Reasons for Overeating & Overeating Disorder and How is it Treated?

Overeating is a disorder, which affects both the physical and mental status of the person. Overeating disorder is also called as binge eating disorder. Patients suffering from overeating disorder consume excess amount of food due to inability to stop and from loss of control towards eating food. Overeating disorder can be seen in both men and women. The negative feeling leads the person to use food as the coping mechanism, which in turn becomes a vicious cycle leading to overeating disorder and obesity.

People tend to overeat sometimes due to boredom. Some people eat just for the sake of eating or to improve their physical appearance. The various negative emotions like anger, sadness, hurt, betrayal, heartbreak, disappointment leads to binge eating and thus cause overeating disorder. Some of the common causes of overeating and overeating disorder are:

Genetic Causes: Mutations or hormonal irregularities can cause overeating and overeating disorder.

Psychological Causes: Depression, sadness, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction can lead to overeating and overeating disorder.

Social & Cultural Causes: Traumatic situations, emotional eating etc. can result in overeating and overeating disorder.

Some of the common signs & symptoms of overeating disorder are:

• Eating even when the stomach is full is the primary symptom of overeating disorder.
• Overeating disorder is characterized by inability to stop eating.
• Stocking of food to eat later is seen in overeating disorder.
• Gorging food when alone is a sign of overeating disorder.
• Stress relieved only by eating food is also seen in overeating disorder.
• Feeling of numbness while eating primarily occurs in overeating disorder.
• People suffering from overeating disorder do not experience any satiety.

Some of the effects of overeating and overeating disorder are:

Weight Gain & Obesity: Excessive overeating leads to uncontrolled weight gain and obesity. This leads to irritation, mood swings, joint pains, depression and also affects the personality of the person. People suffering from overeating disorder lose their self-confidence and develop inferiority complex.

Emotional Distress: There is no feeling of satiety after the meal and it leads to emotional eating.

Eating Disorder: The person develops eating disorder and this love for food replaces everything else in life including the relationships with friends and family.

Health Issues: The overeating leads to a variety of health disorders as it affects all the organs of the body causing organ malfunctions (kidney, liver stomach), bad breath , body odor, lack of concentration, skin diseases like acne, high cholesterol and high blood sugar levels, acid reflux diseases.

Common complications of overeating disorder are: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, diseases of gall bladder, muscle and joint pains, gastrointestinal diseases, depression and anxiety.

The treatment for overeating disorder is provided by a panel of psychiatrists, nutritionists, therapists to help the person overcome the binge eating disorder.

Common Methods for Treating Overeating Disorder Include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This therapy helps the individuals understand the influences of the feelings and thoughts over food and helps to manage and treat overeating disorder.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT): This therapy focuses on the relationships of the individual with the family members and peers. This allows the patient to get a better control of overeating disorder.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): This therapy helps the individuals overcome the feelings of stress and negative emotions. Dealing with stress and negative emotions in a positive way helps greatly in treating overeating disorder.

Group Therapy Sessions: The group therapy sessions also help the individuals overcome binge eating disorder. This is mainly conducted by eating disorder therapist.

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Also Read:

• How to Stop Emotional Over Eating and Regain Healthy Weight?