BED, the most common adult eating disorder
We've all done it before: eating that extra piece of chocolate or cake as comfort or for fun. There is nothing wrong with this. It does become a problem when every time something goes wrong, you start seeking comfort in food. It goes so far for some people that they eat until they get nauseous. BED, binge eating disorder, is the most common eating disorder in adults.
An Vandeputte, coordinator and behavioral therapist at Eetexpert, the center of expertise for eating and weight problems, explains in Leef:
"Soothing emotions with food is recognizable to many. We live in a culture where we often fight emotions with food. Is a baby crying? Then we soothe it with something sweet. Haven't seen someone in a long time? Let's go out to a restaurant. But everyone needs to find ways to deal with emotions independent of eating behaviors. In binge eating, it doesn't really matter how much you eat, but why you eat. Do you dive into the refrigerator with every strong emotion - negative or positive?"
Then try to reverse that ingrained habit. If necessary, walk around the block or pat out the mats in your car. Provide distractions.
The more often binge eating was a lifeline to dealing with certain moods in the past, the more likely you are to revert to it at tipping points in your life. The sooner you recognize the behavior, the sooner you can nip rebounding in the bud.
(FVDV by Tagtik/Source: Leef/Illustration picture: Pixabay)
