Jennie Kramer - Overcoming Binge Eating for Dummies

Overcoming Binge Eating For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013942772

ISBN 978-1-118-55087-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-55090-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-55092-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-55093-9 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Introduction

D o you eat when you feel stressed, sad, or angry? Do you sometimes follow strict diets only to find yourself out of control with food when you return to normal eating patterns? Do certain foods or situations inevitably set off an unstoppable urge to eat? Has the quantity of food you eat had a negative impact on your health? Do you feel desperate and hopeless after an eating binge? Have you ever wondered whether you have a problem with binge eating?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, youre reading the right book. Whether youre just starting to realize that theres a problem or have known it for a while, the information, ideas, and strategies we provide can help get you started on the road to healing and sustainable recovery from binge eating or any other type of overeating. This book is your road map to systematically but gently identify and change the feelings and behaviors that drive your binge eating.

If you identify yourself as a binge eater, you may be ready to take action today. But even if you dont feel that your habits completely fit with whats described as binge eating disorder, you can still benefit from these strategies as you address why you eat for reasons other than physical hunger. No matter where you are in your journey, this book can help you improve your health and well-being.

Depending on the severity of your struggles with food and eating, you may frequently recognize yourself (or someone you love) and your behaviors during the course of reading this book. Perhaps youve been formally diagnosed with binge eating disorder or self-diagnosed as an emotional eater. Left unchecked and untreated, disordered eating of any kind worsens over time, and the habits and behaviors become that much more entrenched. The sooner you seek support, the better.

Hopefully, its heartening to know that you dont have to go it alone well be with you every step of the way as you begin to understand binge eating and exactly what to do about it. We hope that this book is just what you need to finally make a difference in your physical and emotional well-being. You may use it as a jumping-off point for seeking professional help in a more informed way. With compassion towards yourself and a deeper understanding of the fact that binge eating didnt develop overnight and will take some time to change, you can achieve sustainable results.

About This Book

Although binge eating disorder (BED) has been understood and treated by professionals for some time now, the publication of this book coincides with the first formal inclusion of the diagnosis BED in the DSM-V (fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) , which is used for all psychiatric diagnoses. Recognizing binge eating disorder as a diagnosable condition alongside other eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa represents an important shift in the understanding and treatment of binge eating.

To get the most out of this book, you dont need to start at the beginning and read straight through, although reading the entire book, in whatever order you choose, will certainly benefit you in the long run. Put another way, like a good meal, take what you want and leave the rest. In fact, you often see us use food metaphors in discussing various aspects of the disorder because attitudes about food and eating extend to most other areas of life including money and relationships. That may sound strange, but as you read through, youll undoubtedly make the connections.

Also feel free to skip sidebars and anything marked with a Technical Stuff icon. Weve written them to enhance and deepen the material in each chapter, but theyre not essential to understanding what you need to know.

Its useful to note that each chapter and section stand alone, so if you prefer, you can begin wherever you like, picking and choosing whats most helpful to you in learning about and reframing your long-held views and reflexive responses to food and emotions. You may even want to revisit certain sections repeatedly in order to more fully grasp new concepts, strategies, and practical ideas in a way that works for you.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If youre reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as its noted in the text, as if the line break doesnt exist. If youre reading this as an e-book, youve got it made just click the web address to be taken directly to the recommended web page.