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If you struggle with binge eating episodes, feel stuck in a cycle of binging and restricting, or find yourself wondering "how do I stop binge eating,” you’re not alone.
Binge eating is a common disordered eating behavior. But there are ways to help control binge eating, or even stop binge eating all together.
Therapy is usually the best approach, especially if binge eating episodes happen frequently or alongside other mental health concerns, like depression. Therapy can help unearth the mental underpinnings of the behavior and help you work on these issues directly.
But some lifestyle changes, including practicing mindfulness techniques and identifying triggers, may also help you stop binge eating.
If you're wondering how to overcome binge eating, it may be helpful to first clarify what "binge eating" is, from a medical point of view.
It involves eating, within a specific period of time (usually two hours), an amount of food that is substantially larger than what other people would eat during that time.6
Binge eating episodes also involve a loss of a sense of control over how much or what is eaten, and are characterized by at least three of the following traits:6
Eating more rapidly than normal
Eating alone, due to guilt or embarrassment over eating habits
Eating large amounts of food, even when not feeling physically hungry
Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
Feeling disgusted with oneself, guilty, or ashamed after a binging episode
Binge eating disorder is widely considered to be the most common eating disorder in the United States.1 And, as with other eating disorders, it impacts people of all ages, genders, races, and body shapes and sizes.
The behavior is expressed in several eating disorders, most commonly manifesting as part of binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN).
People with the binge-purge subtype of anorexia nervosa (AN) also engage in regular binge eating followed by periods of food restriction. And some individuals diagnosed with OSFED (other specified feeding and eating disorders) also engage in binging behaviors.
What causes binge eating?
Binge eating is often associated with emotional health. That likely has to do with the fact that eating of any kind is closely tied to the neurotransmitter serotonin, a chemical produced by the body that helps control both appetite and mood.7
Many people engage in binge eating as an attempt to manage or cope with unpleasant feelings, such as depression, low-self esteem, stress, fear, loneliness, trauma, anxiety, and even boredom.2 In fact, binge eating is often called emotional eating, due to its strong connection to these feelings.
Some people also develop binge eating behaviors in response to restriction, either of overall food intake or of specific foods. Both the physical and psychological effects of dietary restriction can trigger binge eating.2
People who experience binge eating episodes often feel unable to control the type and amount of food they eat in a single sitting. This can cause feelings of shame and guilt, which for some people can lead to periods of food restriction in order to compensate, contributing to the overall cycle of binging and purging.
Effects of binge eating
Binge eating can have both short-term and long-term impacts on mental and physical health. One reason people ask how to not binge eat is to mitigate or avoid the effects this type of behavior can cause.
Weight gain is a common consequence of regular binge eating, though not all people who struggle with this eating behavior are in larger bodies.3 Binge eating can also result in gastrointestinal issues such as acid reflux, heartburn, bloating, upper abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation.8
On a longer-term basis, people who engage in an ongoing binge eating cycle can also become malnourished, as they fail to consistently meet their nutritional needs. Individuals struggling with binging can also experience mental health consequences, including significant feelings of depression, shame, guilt, and low self-esteem.4
Tips on how to stop binging
If you or a loved one are struggling with binge eating behavior, it's important to seek out professional help. This behavior is frequently tied to several types of eating disorders, which can be dangerous conditions and often require more targeted treatment plans addressing both mental and physical health.
You can't stop binge eating disorder on your own. But there are several things you can do to help you control binge eating behavior while seeking out professional help.4
Binge episodes are often triggered by unpleasant emotions, thoughts, feelings, or even certain situations that a person finds stressful.
Identifying your triggers can help you avoid or manage them, or even better, find ways to cope with your triggers without feeling the urge to binge.
For example, if feelings of boredom often seem to precede binging episodes, the next time you notice you’re feeling bored or restless, distract yourself with an engaging activity, such as reading, going for a walk, or playing a game.
Regular dieting has long been tied to binge eating behaviors. This is particularly true when it comes to participating in fad diets or those that are especially restrictive, whether keeping to a certain number of calories per day or restricting or eliminating entire food groups from your diet.5
Dieting also plays into the concept of "diet culture," which pushes the idea that a slim or fit body is the "only" acceptable body type and implies that the pursuit of such a body is among the most important priorities in life.
It can be very difficult to learn to identify the harmful language and ideas behind diet culture, as these thoughts have long permeated Western culture at large. But taking some time to understand these fad diets and the ideology behind them can help you get a different perspective on the importance of reaching a certain size or body shape.
Studies show that stress is a common trigger for binging episodes. Plus, stress is known to reduce a person’s awareness of their satiety and hunger cues, which can contribute to eating past the point of fullness during a binge.5
There are many ways you can help reduce the impact stress has on you, including:5,6
Practicing deep breathing techniques
Trying meditation, yoga, or tai chi
Exercising regularly if it is appropriate for you
Make sure you're getting enough sleep
Using alternative relaxation techniques including massage, aromatherapy, or acupuncture
Mindfulness has also been proven to be a successful technique for reducing stress and episodes of binge eating.5Mindful eating involves focusing on the here and now while enjoying your snacks or meal. This includes eating slowly and purposefully, which allows you to savor the flavors and textures of food.
Eating more slowly can also help you stay more in tune with your satiety cues, and become more aware of feeling full.9 This may help avoid the dissociated mental state or compulsive eating that many people experience during a binge episode.
Learning to be aware of and honor both your physical hunger and food cravings is an important part of working towards a more positive relationship with food. And one of the best ways to continue honoring your body's food-related needs is to develop healthier eating habits.
Eating a well-balanced and nutritional diet can help you feel the satisfaction of a meal while contributing to your overall health and nutritional needs. And ensuring that your body is consistently and adequately getting food throughout the day can help break the binge-restrict cycle.
When to seek treatment for binge eating
Although certain lifestyle changes can help you to control binge eating, these changes can be difficult to institute without outside help or encouragement, and it can still be hard to stop binge eating on your own.
If you're finding it difficult to implement these changes into your lifestyle or find your binging behaviors are getting worse or causing significant disruption or distress, it's essential to reach out for additional help.
Treatment by a multidisciplinary team experienced with eating disorders can help you learn to manage your binging episodes as well as identify the underlying causes.
Through treatment, you’ll learn how to build a healthier relationship with food and with yourself via a combination of different therapies, including:
Cognitive behavior therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy
Interpersonal psychotherapy
Nutritional counseling
Mindful eating
Group therapy
Family-based therapy
Learn more about remote treatment
At Within Health, we pride ourselves on offering these types of therapies and other kinds of help for people struggling with eating disorders of all kinds. Our multidisciplinary team creates tailored treatment plans for each patient, to address their specific history and needs, and our entire program can be completed at home.
If you're interested in seeking out help for binge eating, you can contact us for more information.
Disclaimer about "overeating": Within Health hesitatingly uses the word "overeating" because it is the term currently associated with this condition in society, however, we believe it inherently overlooks the various psychological aspects of this condition which are often interconnected with internalized diet culture, and a restrictive mindset about food. For the remainder of this piece, we will therefore be putting "overeating" in quotations to recognize that the diagnosis itself pathologizes behavior that is potentially hardwired and adaptive to a restrictive mindset.
Disclaimer about weight loss drugs: Within does not endorse the use of any weight loss drug or behavior and seeks to provide education on the insidious nature of diet culture. We understand the complex nature of disordered eating and eating disorders and strongly encourage anyone engaging in these behaviors to reach out for help as soon as possible. No statement should be taken as healthcare advice. All healthcare decisions should be made with your individual healthcare provider.
When binge eating happens primarily at night, it's generally thought of as part of a different condition called night eating syndrome (NES).
Similar strategies can be used to help stop binge eating at night, including tracking your mood and working on a better relationship with food and overall healthier eating habits. But the nighttime aspect of this condition can introduce other complications.
Keeping to a regular sleeping and eating pattern can help get your body into a better rhythm. You may want to plan your meals, eat a big breakfast, or eat more regularly during the day to combat eating too much at night. De-stressing before bedtime can also help make sure you get to sleep and stay asleep.
But, as always, if these behaviors don't stop, get worse, or become disruptive to your life, you should seek out professional help.
