Binge-eating can show its’ face in many ways – a person trying to lose weight who has been very restrictive in their food selection may lose their willpower by going on a feeding “binge” succumbing to their cravings eating all the foods they had barred from their diet. Or, some people react to emotions soothing themselves gorging on high-calorie, high-fat/high-sugar foods in a brief period of time. In the short run, this feeding frenzy makes them feel better but long-term, not only can it cause excess weight gain but a new study shows binge-eating disorder linked with a broad range of other illnesses.

Binge-eating disorder is defined as an eating disorder whose criteria are similar to those of bulimia nervosa, but without the purging – in other words, binge-eating involves eating a large amount of food in a short period of time but without getting rid of it by self-induced vomiting, laxative use or excessive exercise. Due to consuming an extreme amount of calories this form of disordered eating almost always results in significant weight gain in an individual and usually leads to obesity.

Symptoms of binge-eating include:

· Eating unusually large amounts of food in a short period of time

· Eating even if you’re full or not hungry

· Eating fast during binge episodes

· Eating until you’re uncomfortably full

· Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment

· Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss

It was already known that binge-eating very likely leads to weight gain but how did this affect comorbidity of other health conditions. The study from Sweden set out to evaluate if there was any association between binge-eating disorder and the likelihood of the development of chronic diseases.

The study included 9,350 individuals (95% female) with the average age of 29. It was found that binge-eating disorder was significantly associated with all classes of disease with the strongest associations being diabetes and other endocrine disorders, and circulatory system disorders. Other conditions uniquely associated with binge-eating were health issues of skin and respiratory conditions.

Treatment for binge-eating disorder can include one or more of the following:

· Individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy

· Medical care and monitoring

· Nutritional counseling

· Medications

The findings from this study demonstrate that binge-eating is associated with a broad range of illnesses. This information can be used by general medical care providers encouraging them to routinely screen for binge eating or excessive overeating in patients who present for medical care or weight loss. With more accurate screening and detection of binge eating, it can get started the conversation about this condition and to provide and refer them for help for treatment of people suffering from it.