Don’t Go Overboard During The Holidays: 5 Facts About Binge Eating

With Christmas creeping up fast, it’s the time of year when overdoing it on food and drink is almost encouraged.

But binge eating has extremely negative effects on the body, namely for the digestive system and vital organs. Here are five facts about binge eating to help you avoid feeling sick and lethargic this holiday season:

Digestive strain

When you binge eat, you’re essentially making your body work extra hard to digest all of the food. This puts stress on your system and can increase your risk for more serious health complications, like gallstone attacks, diverticulitis or ulcers.

Constipation

Too much food can keep you from eliminating properly, as your body has too much work to do and can’t break things down fast enough. Constipation can be uncomfortable, and it may even last for a few days.

Blood clots

After a binge eating episode of especially fatty foods, your risk for a heart attack due to blood clotting increases fourfold for about two hours.

Stomach growth

Your stomach can actually increase up to 25 percent after you binge eat, and it can stay bigger for about two weeks. This means that the more you binge eat, the more you’ll be hungry because your stomach is larger and requires more food to feel full.

Drowsiness

Binge eating can also cause drowsiness, which can be a problem if you’re driving–especially if you’ve had a few holiday cocktails.

Experts recommend to eat slowly and bring an awareness to meal times during the holidays. Temptation may be there, but you don’t have to go overboard.

Source: Heartland Connection