People with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) frequently wait many years before first seeking help. It’s not uncommon for people with BED to have struggled with the eating disorder for 15-20 years. Even though the most recent DSM finally included BED as a definitive diagnosis, the recognition and treatment of this disorder are still very limited.
There are several reasons this is the case.
The first is that anorexia and bulimia are still considered the only true eating disorders. Based on decades of exposure in the media, these two diagnoses remain most visible as eating disorders and most acceptable diagnoses in this culture to allow people to seek treatment.
Second, fatphobia continues to be central not just in our society but also in the eating disorder treatment world. People with BED are often in larger bodies and the false statement that only people who are underweight can have eating disorders remains very strong.
Third, these two factors only increase the amount of shame people with BED experience. The overall cultural message is that BED is a personal failure and lack of willpower, not a true illness. The diet industry exploits people with BED and robs them the ability to seek help earlier on their lives. All these pressures stop people with BED from even realizing there is help to find.
The most unfortunate part of this scenario is that BED is also the most easily treatable of all eating disorders. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is very effective in rooting out the thought and behavior patterns of binging. The treatment can quickly enable people to understand the pattern of binging, see the emotional roller coaster that triggers binges and apply new strategies to regulate eating.
Overall, the eating disorder treatment community needs to be sure people are aware of the BED diagnosis and seek appropriate care. The real shame is the unnecessary suffering of so many untreated people with BED.
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