Joyce D. Nash - Binge No More: Your Guide to Overcoming Disordered Eating with Other

Binge eating is not a moral failure. Contrary to popular belief, binge eating is not the result of carbohydrate craving or an addiction to sugar or food. And it does not result from yo-yo dieting (losing and then regaining weight multiple times). Binge eating is part of a disordered eating pattern that may qualify as an eating disorder.

Most often, binge eating is associated with bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by attempts to compensate for calories consumed. Binge eating is also the central feature in a recently recognized eating disorderbinge eating disorder or BED. Less well-known is the fact that many people who suffer from anorexia nervosa also binge periodically.

In addition, untold numbers of people have subclinical eating disordersany of a number of conditions that do not meet the stringent criteria necessary to qualify for a diagnosis of anorexia or bulimiaor they are so preoccupied with food and weight that their eating behaviors are not normal. Often they also struggle with some form of binge eating. Taken together, millions of Americans are in the grip of both a binge eating problem and disordered eating.

The eating binge is often the paradoxical consequence of attempts to restrict caloric intake with the intention of losing weight or maintaining weight loss. Unable to cope with hunger or deprivation, the eating disordered person succumbs to the overwhelming urge to eat. For many, stress and associated negative emotions trigger the binge. Many failures at weight management occur because bouts of excessive eating cancel out efforts at caloric restriction.

An estimated 97 million adults in the United States, or 55 percent of the population, are overweight or obese. According to data from the 1980 and the 1991 surveys of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Studies, the prevalence of those who are overweight and/or obese showed a dramatic increase in the 1980s.

With such rising levels of overweight and obesity, more and more people are engaging in weight management efforts. According to the NHANES III 1988-1991 survey, on average, 30 percent of males and 53 percent of females reported that they had tried to lose weight in the past twelve months. The more overweight, the more likely these respondents were to be dieting, although some people who were not overweight also reported dieting.

At any given time, tens of millions of peoplemore than a quarter of all adult men and half of all adult womenare dieting, even if they arent overweight. Many see themselves as binge eaters. Of those seeking treatment for obesity, an estimated 20 percent to 50 percent are binge eaters. The more severely overweight a person is, the more likely it is that binge eating is a problem. Younger and younger children are also dieting, which is often a precursor to binge eating. As a result, disordered eating is reaching epidemic proportions.

Binge eating undermines success in managing weight, impairs health, diminishes the quality of life, and causes untold misery for millions. Eating disorders are accompanied by increased risk for additional psychological issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and personality disorders. Most eating binges produceand are influenced bypainful emotions. The end result is that the binge eater hates herself, her body, and her behavior.

Binge No More helps readers to understand their own binge eating problems and to take appropriate action. Readers will identify with the experiences of other binge eaters whose stories are told in a number of vignettes, and learn how to change their own eating disordered behavior. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all approach to finding a solution to binge eating, Binge No More offers a variety of cognitive-behavioral, coping, and interpersonal strategies for addressing the factors involved in maintaining an eating disorder. As such, it integrates principles and techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy.

This book is grounded in the latest scientific literature and informed by clinical experience. It is intended for those who have a problem with binge eating or who think they do. It provides help to those suffering from binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia, and their subclinical variations. The book should also be a helpful adjunct to weight management programs, as well as a valuable resource to professionals working with all types of eating disorders. Parents of children with disordered eating, and family members and friends concerned about a loved ones eating disorder, will benefit from reading this book.