Binge Eating Disorder: What You Need to Know

Published on ConsultantLive (http://www.consultantlive.com)

Binge Eating Disorder: What You Need to Know

April 24, 2015 | Obesity [1]
By Veronica Hackethal, MD [2]
Only one-third of patients with eating disorders are ever asked about their problems with food.
Screening in primary care is essential.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States. Lifetime
prevalence in adult women is approximately 3.5% and in adult men, 2.0%. Prevalence among
adolescents is an estimated 1.6 %.
Up to one-quarter of obese patients may have BED.
Hallmark behavior of BED is frequent episodes of binge eating associated with a feeling of loss of
control. Emotional distress afterward is significant. Comorbid depression and other psychiatric
conditions are common.
Screening for BED and other eating disorders is essential but also challenging because of the
shame associated with the behaviors.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered the gold standard of psychological treatment.
There is one FDA-approved agent for BED; a wide range of antidepressants are used with variable
success.
Click through the slides above for more details on the disorder and its management.
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References

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Eat Disord 2002; 26:1398-1403.
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with and without binge eating. Int J Eat Disord 2002; 32:72-78.
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http://www.dsm5.org/documents/eating%20disorders%20fact%20sheet.pdf
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Eating Disorder in a Weight-Loss TreatmentSeeking Obese Sample. Prim Care Companion
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Binge Eating Disorder: What You Need to Know

Published on ConsultantLive (http://www.consultantlive.com)
10. Garner DM, Olmstead MP, Polivy J. Development and validation of a multidimensional
eating disorder inventory for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Int J Eat Disord
1983;2:15-34.
11. Stunkard AJ, Messik S. The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary
restraint disinhibition and hunger. J Psychosom Res 1985; 13:137
12. White MA, Whisenhunt BL, Williamson DA, Greenway FL, Netemeyer RG. Development and
validation of the Food-Craving Inventory. Obes Res 2002; 10:107-114.
13. Williams PM, Goodie J, Motsinger C. Treating eating disorders in primary care. Am Fam
Physician. 2008;77:187-195.
14. Brownley KA, Peat CM, La Via M, et al. Pharmacological approaches to the
management of binge eating disorder. Drugs 2015;75:9-32.

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Links:
[1] http://www.consultantlive.com/obesity
[2] http://www.consultantlive.com/authors/veronica-hackethal-md-0

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