Understanding Compulsive Overeating
Understanding Compulsive Overeating
Date Last Reviewed: 11/8/2007
Date Last Modified: 2/5/2009
Online Medical Reviewer: Whorton, Donald, M.D.
Online Editor: Sinovic, Dianna
HealthPlus of Michigan
People who chronically overeat may be suffering from a common eating disorder known as compulsive overeating.
“This type of eating disorder is characterized by uncontrollable eating and consequent weight gain,” says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, R.D., a Cleveland-based spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “Compulsive overeaters use food as a way to cope with stress, emotional conflicts, and daily problems.”
Gradual start
Compulsive overeating may start gradually. A child may turn to food when upset. Over time, the child learns food soothes upset feelings.
“Most people who become compulsive eaters never learned healthy ways of dealing with unhappy situations,” Jamieson-Petonic says.
The disorder may develop when others make repeated negative comments about a person's weight. It may develop after a traumatic event in childhood, or after restrictive dieting. A person's home environment also can play a role. For example, if a person’s parents were overcontrolling or not present, that person may not have had good role models for eating.
“People who overeat compulsively often have an extremely negative sense of self-worth, a need for perfection, and a history of being overweight or obese,” she adds.
The more weight a person gains, the harder the person tries to diet. Dieting is usually what leads to the next binge.
Signs and symptoms
People who eat compulsively often do so in private. They usually are reluctant to talk about their eating problems.
If you or someone you know has several of these signs and behaviors of binge eating, talk with your health care provider:
Eating a little in public and a lot in private
Feelings about yourself based on weight
Depression after overeating
Feeling tormented by eating habits
Going on and off many diets
Binge eating
Prevention
Compulsive overeating can’t always be prevented, especially when the condition has roots in childhood. Even so, these suggestions can help:
Avoid restrictive diets. They can easily lead to feelings of deprivation, which result in binge eating.
Check your body image. Talk with a dietitian or psychologist if you have a negative body image.
Know when you eat for comfort. If you feel depressed, angry, or anxious, talk with your health care provider.
Recovery
If your child or teen appears to eat for emotional reasons or eat as a way to cope with problems, talk with your child's doctor. It's important to get help to break the cycle before it becomes a full-blown eating disorder.
“The best therapy is a combination of cognitive-behavior and nutrition therapy, psychotherapy, and medication, if called for,” Jamieson-Petonic says. “These therapies can help overeaters develop healthy life skills and sound nutrition habits.”
Publication Source: Amy Jamieson-Petonic, Amy, R.D., spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Interview.
Publication Source: Vitality magazine/September 2007
Author: Floria, Barbara
Online Source: Compulsive Overeating, Brown University http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition/ec_compulsiveeating.htm
Online Source: Compulsive Overeating, Mirror-Mirror http://www.mirror-mirror.org/compulsive.htm
Online Source: Is OA for You? Overeaters Anonymous http://www.oa.org/is_oa.html
Online Source: Top 10 Triggers fro Overeating, Women Fitness http://www.womenfitness.net/over-eating.htm
Online Editor: Sinovic, Dianna
Online Medical Reviewer: Whorton, Donald, M.D.
Date Last Reviewed: 11/8/2007
Date Last Modified: 2/5/2009
Copyright © 2009 StayWell Custom Communications except where otherwise noted.
© 2008 HealthPlus of Michigan
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