We all can remember a time when we ate bowl after bowl of ice cream without planning to. Or felt so stuffed after three helpings of Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole that we wished we were wearing baggy sweatpants. For people with binge eating disorder (BED), however, out-of-control eating happens often\u2014at least once a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BED can lead to major feelings of depression, guilt, and shame. It also increases risk for certain health conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. There are treatments that can help, however. And most recently, the medication GLP-1 has shown promise.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more details about BED and the latest research about treatments, read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BED is the most common eating disorder in America. It affects an estimated 2.3% of women and 0.3% of men, research<\/a> shows. Unlike bulimia,<\/a> in which people eat large amounts of food and then purge the food by vomiting or using laxatives (or in some cases, by over-exercising to avoid weight gain), BED involves overeating without the purging element. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBinge eating disorder involves compulsive eating that is connected to the reward center in the brain,\u201d says Cathy Epps, PharmD, Chief Pharmacist with ReflexMD. \u201cIt has a different set of drivers than bulimia.\u201d Feelings of extreme shame often follow bouts of uncontrolled eating. This leads to restricted eating, which then can trigger another round of compulsive overeating, creating an endless cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This disorder can affect anyone at any age. However, BED most commonly occurs in teens and people in their 20s. The average age of onset is 21, according to the National Institute of Mental Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n