May 31, 2023

"For so long, they’ve been told things like ‘Oh, this is just emotional eating’ or ‘You’re out of control’ or ‘It’s because you have no willpower’ or ‘Gluttony’s a sin,’ or whatever these things are that people explain it away, without realizing that they have a treatable condition."

Said Cynthia Bulik, the founding director of the University of North Carolina’s Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, quoted in "The Most Common Eating Disorder in the U.S. Is Also the Least Understood/Binge eating disorder entered the diagnostic manual on mental health conditions 10 years ago. It’s still getting overlooked" (NYT).

"Binge eating disorder" only became an official disorder 10 years ago.  "At the time, the diagnosis was fairly controversial... Some thought that it was 'pathologizing normality'... and did not understand how it was different from ordinary overeating."

30 comments:

Kay said...

“Pathologizing normality” is a very 21st century phrase.

Ice Nine said...

In the not too distant future there will be no such things as bad behavior, character weakness, and human failing -- every such thing will be a mental health disorder.

Scott M said...

Lizzo will be along shortly to debunk this with her exceptionally well-trained scientific mind.

rhhardin said...

Opening a "Center of Excellence" is a sure sign impending of corporate failure.

ref. Allegheny International under Chairman Buckley

wild chicken said...

Giving a problem DSM name doesn't explain it. It always comes down to "childhood trauma sexual abuse blah blah" but nobody knows.

This is just about drugs and billing codes.

gilbar said...

speaking as a person that weighed 375lbs last july (298 this morning, thank you),
binge eating is FUN! and delicious!!!
you want to know what is REALLY delicious? Your 4th donut. Want to know what's EVEN better? your 5th.
People that say they don't like donuts, are the people that would eat ONE, and say; yech

i MISS donuts.
When i told my dietitian how much i liked donuts. she told me i could easily have a donut for a snack;
i was like; A donut? what IN HELL would be the point, of A donut?
so.. No donuts for me :(

MadisonMan said...

I Can't Help Myself!
Pharmacies to the rescue. Big Pharma smiles.

Rabel said...

"Binge eating disorder entered the diagnostic manual on mental health conditions 10 years ago. It’s still getting overlooked"

Wear the ribbon. It's periwinkle.

n.n said...

Trans/consumption.

Temp Blog said...

I am unbelievably grateful to live in a country where one of our biggest problems is that our poor people have too much to eat.

I'm not sure how true it is, but I saw a report that essentially stated that there is no such thing as malnutrition (medically defined) in the US, other than due to cases of drug abuse or child neglect. There is hunger, but not malnutrition.

I did hear that government came up with a solution for obesity. It's socialism.

n.n said...

Overeating with a side of malnutrition. You can fool the brain some of the time.

wild chicken said...

Well gilbar and I have donuts in common.

Do. Not. Buy. Even. One!

rrsafety said...

Overeating is much different than binge eating disorder.
There is nothing fun or delicious about a teen girl who sneaks down to the kitchen in the middle of the night and eats half a loaf of bread, two muffins, seven protein bars and half a box of cereal and then punishes herself by not eating for five days.
Eating disorders are very real, but all eating problems are not EDs.

Scott Patton said...

Eating makes me hungry. I never really feel full or satisfied.
The condition seems a little different than what is described in the article, but could be related. It's like a nervous system defect that interferes with whatever signals that tell the brain that it's time to stop eating. Combine that with other issues, trauma etc. and it could get much worse.
For example...
A 10oz bag of powdered sugar mini donuts in about 6 minutes (and a mug of coffee - yum!). This would be just one of many snacks throughout the evening.
A standard supper could be:
A 12" pizza in about 20-30mins. Not some factory franchise pretend pizza, but old fashioned local SW PA neighborhood pizza shop pizza.
Or
A 9 piece box of pressure fried chicken and a dozen potato wedges washed down by most of 2 liter bottle of coke.
Brunch was a med stack pancake, sausage and toast breakfast followed with a 3 egg ham and cheese omelet with more toast.
In all cases, I stopped eating because I was out of time or over budget.
Back in the day when I ate like that I was burning calories like crazy so my weight wasn't excessively bad (5'5" around 200lbs - BMI ~35 with a bit of muscle).
I can control it. In the past, sometimes for years at a time - pretty much always under control now that I'm older. Bananas help, lots o' bananas.
But that bag of donuts is always out there, calling me.

Tina Trent said...

Good for you, Gilbar. It's not like you can just quit eating, cold turkey.

Anthony said...

Why, I'm so old that I remember when swilling a few beers with your friends on a Friday night wasn't called "binge drinking".

Rafe said...

“In the not too distant future there will be no such things as bad behavior, character weakness, and human failing -- every such thing will be a mental health disorder.”

And the opposite is true as well: actual mental disorders will be treated as choices that need to be promoted, with their own month of National Month of Celebration.

- Rafe

Kate said...

Congratulations, @gilbar! I agree. Some foods, like donuts -- one is already bad for you. Why eat it when you can't eat 4? I haven't been to the donut shop in years, and it was a really fun place.

tommyesq said...

Will binge drinking be next? Asking for a friend...

Rusty said...

You are in control of you. Nobody else.

pacwest said...

Mmmmm. Donuts. Nature's most perfect food.

Michael said...

Gilbar. Heroic! Congratulations.

gilbar said...

Michael said...
Gilbar. Heroic! Congratulations.

when your doctor tells you, that you're now a diabetic;
and you'll be on insulin Soon if you don't lose a LOT a weight.. it's Really a motivator.
well, when MY doctor told ME..

ps A1c was 5.2 last checkup (last Jan).. We'll see what it is in three weeks.. Thanx Metformin!

~ Gordon Pasha said...

June is Pride Month. July should be Gluttony Month.

Rusty said...

pacwest said...
"Mmmmm. Donuts. Nature's most perfect food."
Pizza. Pizza is a sign that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Rusty said...

I'm not gonna eat Kale though. It's the principle.

Gut hangin' out
got a touch of gout
Romaine
Ya wanna lose pounds
be not so round
Romaine
Scale don't lie
scale don't lie
scale don't lie
Romaine
Got the blues
got lard to lose
Romaine
When you weigh a ton
You can't even run
Romaine
scale don't lie
scale don't lie
gotta try
Romaine

TRISTRAM said...

Disorder. I don't know the technical definition, but standard English usage seems like a good application.

I just wish that some of these diagnoses didn't impart obligations on others on how to act / treat people. "I'm have a diagnosis. You all have to change!" Beit ADHD, Autism, Eating, Drinking, Drugs. It is a form of the hierarchy of victims. The undiagnosed must make accommodations for everyone else.

How about a deal? You get a diagnosis AND proof of treatment, and we'll look for reasonable accommodations. You want to do drugs in Kensington, passing in a stupor? No. You are on you own.

Having a problem isn't wrong. Not accepting it and trying to improve is.

gilbar said...

pacwest said...
Mmmmm. Donuts. Nature's most perfect food.

there's a Reason Why there are 12 in a box.. It's a serving suggestion

TomHynes said...

"One of her patients ordered a cake for her child’s birthday party and, on the drive home from the supermarket, ate the whole thing with her hands."

Bunkypotatohead said...

Blogger TomHynes said...
"One of her patients ordered a cake for her child’s birthday party and, on the drive home from the supermarket, ate the whole thing with her hands."

Well, after the first handful, she would have to finish it off to hide the evidence.