Binge Eating Symptoms

Some people with eating disorders eat normally around others, only to binge in secret—usually late at night or in a private spot where they won’t be discovered or disturbed.

A compulsive overeater:

  • Has periods of eating that feel out of control.
  • Doesn’t purge.
  • Frequently feels ashamed and guilty about her eating patterns.
  • Finds it hard to stop her binges even though she wants to.

Common binge eating symptoms include eating when they not hungry. Other binge eating symptoms include eating very quickly. Binge eaters eat when they feel anxious, lonely and/or depressed. They eat when they are stressed or confused by emotional challenges, eating or grazing without ever feeling satisfied or until being uncomfortably full.

Binge eating symptoms or common characteristics is to feel shame and remorse over their behavior. They gain and lose weight often, often experimenting with different diets. Binge eaters obsess about their body image. Excessive exercise may be a sign or symptom of someone who is binge eating.

Compulsive over eating can increase a person’s risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Warning signs of bingeing include piles of empty food packages and wrappers, cupboards and refrigerators that have been cleaned out, and hidden stashes of high-calorie foods such as desserts and junk food.

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Eating Disorder Self Test. Take the EAT-26 self test to see if you might have eating disorder symptoms that might require professional evaluation. All answers are confidential.

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