Binge Eating: A Cry for Help
Eating is a basic necessity for survival, and binge eating a part of pleasure meets: Let’s meet for dinner, go for a picnic or a party. Don’t we all indulge in food every now and then? Yes, we do. Eating adds to the “feel good” mood. It is fun to pig-out occasionally! But regular binging on food takes it to the other extreme.
Some children seem hungry all the time. Initially, the parents are pleased to see their growing child’s hearty appetite. But it doesn’t last long. The frequent uncontrollable desire for food continues to grow till both physical and emotional uneasiness sets in.
Children and teenagers who binge on food use it to fill some lacunae in their social and emotional well being. It is an outward expression of low self-esteem, bruised self-concept, ongoing stress and setting in childhood depression.
Unrestrained desire to eat is usually seen during middle childhood and teenage development, when children's social demands conflict with the expectations of their parents, teachers and significant others.
Children during early childhood years are fussy eaters. Therefore, in its initial stages, sudden eating sprees in children are not looked upon as an eating disorder. The issue excites concern only when overweight distorts their body image. The compulsive eating and its underlying emotional and social causes yet go unnoticed.
What is binge eating disorder, BED?
BED is form of compulsive eating practice to induce feel good mood.
The affected children feel some lacunae in interpersonal relationships; peer pressure, poor rapport with parents, feeling of insecurity, or stress at school.
Children suffering from BED are well aware of their indulgence in food
Thoughts on food rule their mind. They strive to resist their temptation to eat, but because of unresolved social and emotional stress, they finally succumb to it. The “feel good” mood that follows is very short lasting. They hate themselves for pigging-out on food and lapse back into their disturbed insecure world. Depression and disgust often make them bring up the food forcefully; an act of intentional self-induced vomiting – Bulimia, and the cycle continues.
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Features of binge eating disorder
Children often bring up soon after a hearty meal, especially if they are excited. We all indulge into food every now and then, and also overeat many a times. Is that all a form of eating disorder brought up by emotional upheaval?
No!
Read on; when pleasure binge eating turns into compulsive eating disorder.
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