The ‘trance-like’ eating disorder you’ve never heard of that affects 1 in 50 of us and 40 per cent of sufferers are men

WHEN you think of someone with an eating disorder, what comes to mind?

A skinny teenage girl? Someone making themselves sick over a toilet?

This is the way eating disorders are often portrayed on TV, and it’s not exactly wrong.

Anorexia, when people try to keep their weight as low as possible, is most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens.

And a major part of bulimia is ridding your body of the extra food you’ve eaten by vomiting.

But these aren’t the only features of eating disorders, nor are they the only ones.

In fact, the most common – binge eating disorder (BED) – doesn’t usually present either of these traits and is rarely spoken about at all.

It’s characterised by eating very large amounts of food in short periods of time, with sufferers feeling like they’re not in control of what they’re doing.

Unlike bulimia, these bursts of overeating are not followed by compensatory behaviours, like being sick or excessive exercise.

It’s also more associated with being overweight or obese.

BED affects one in 50 people in the UK, according to Action Mental Health.

That’s three times the number of people diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia combined.

And it’s not just women; around 40 per cent of those with BED are men.

In the short term, it can lead to feelings of distress and self-loathing.

But according to the charity Beat, BED can have serious long-term effects too, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, difficulty conceiving, infertility, arthritis and gallbladder disease.

The condition can become so severe that one in three people affected have considered taking their own life.

It’s therefore vital to recognise the symptoms early and get treatment as soon as possible.

How is binge eating disorder different from overeating?

You may overindulge at Christmas or Easter, but this is different to BED.

Umairah Malik, Beat's clinical manager, tells Sun Health: “Choosing to eat a bigger meal or snacking more than usual is a completely normal thing to do.

“If it only happens from time to time, this is nothing to worry about.”;

People with BED, however, frequently eat very large quantities of food over short periods of time, without feeling like they’re in control of what they’re doing.

Sufferers don’t typically engage in compensatory behaviours, such as bulimia.

People often talk of entering a trance-like state when bingeing, or becoming preoccupied with planning their binges as they go about their everyday lives

Dr Joanna Silver psychologist

Bulimia is identified as uncontrolled episodes of bingeing followed by purging, like vomiting, excessive exercise or the misuse of laxatives.

“Despite how it can seem, like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder is not about food,”; says Umairah.

“Often there are underlying emotional factors that cause someone to seek soothing and solace through a preoccupation with eating.”;

Dr Joanna Silver, a psychologist at an eating disorder treatment clinic, Orri, adds: “Individuals with BED often find themselves caught in a relentless and emotionally distressing pattern of bingeing and subsequent food restriction, driven by a constant battle to control their behaviours with food, body weight and shape.”;

The signs you may be suffering

While physical signs of BED can include weight gain, bloating, stomach issues, tiredness, sleep problems and poor skin, there are also many psychological symptoms which may show up beforehand...

1. Eating very quickly

Whether it’s in yourself or someone else, the first warning signs will often be changes in behaviour, rather than changes in appearance.

“These can include eating very rapidly and until uncomfortably full, and eating when not hungry,”; Umairah says.

You may even struggle to remember what you ate during your binge.

Dr Silver adds: “People often talk of entering a trance-like state when bingeing, or becoming preoccupied with planning their binges as they go about their everyday lives in work or education.”;

2. A loss of control

Feeling powerless or lacking the ability to stop eating during a binge is another sign you may be suffering from BED.

“Binge eating starts to become a concern when you experience a loss of control when it happens, and you feel that it is starting to take over your life,”; says Umairah.

3. Thinking about food all the time

Are you planning your binges? Are you spending a lot, or even most of your time thinking about food? Do you want to be alone in the house to binge?

Organising your life around bingeing episodes is another red flag, Umairah says.

You may go to extreme lengths to access food, perhaps even eating food that has been thrown away. You may also hoard lots of food to binge on.

In a 2020 study, 54 per cent of BED patients admitted to secretly eating, “concealing the act or evidence”;.

4. Guilt or shame

Do you feel guilt or shame after a binge? Umairah says that this could be a sign of BED.

These feelings might be heightened if the binge episode led you to act out of character, such as by eating someone else's food. You may also feel moody or irritable.

Dr Silver adds that these emotions can have a profound impact on self-esteem.

“Individuals may develop a highly negative self-image, engage in self-judgement, or even feel disgust toward their actions,”; she says.

5. Avoid eating out

If you suffer from BED, eating out can be a real challenge.

“Individuals often grapple with heightened anxiety and fear surrounding food, especially when eating in front of others, which can undermine their ability to engage in social eating situations,”; says Dr Silver.

“Certain foods may trigger anxiety due to previous binge episodes, leading individuals to adopt restrictive eating habits as a way to regain control.”;

This can make spontaneous dining experiences particularly difficult.

You may also find that you restrict yourself at dinner with the intention to binge privately later on.

Withdrawing socially and becoming increasingly isolated is also common.

'I didn’t feel the food going in until I was disgustingly full'

By Julia Sidwell

WHEN Stefanie Daniels, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, noticed extra weight around her middle at the age of 37, her confidence took a nosedive.

She was experiencing one of the most common symptoms of menopause – weight gain.

Stefanie had gone into menopause much younger than the UK average age of 51, after having her ovaries removed to prevent ovarian cancer when she tested positive for the BRCA2 gene, which increases the risk.

“It wasn’t just physical changes,”; recalls Stefanie, now 44. “It was the mental exhaustion of fighting against my self-worth every day.

“My inner dialogue was so harsh and critical.”;

In hindsight, Stefanie, now 44, recognises that she had undiagnosed binge eating disorder.

“I didn’t feel when I was binge eating,”; Stefanie recalls. “You want to eat – it doesn’t matter what it is.

“For me, though, food had to be dry, crunchy and sweet all at the same time. I didn’t feel the food going in until I was disgustingly full – that’s when I would feel.”;

Slowly, guilt would wash over Stefanie and she’d start the restriction process again.

“Bingeing became a vicious cycle of feeling out of control, eating for comfort, and then spiralling into utter frustration,”; she says.

Stefanie says she always had a “love-hate relationship with food,”; but the menopause exacerbated it.

How to get help

Someone who experiences at least one distressing binge eating episode a week for at least three months is likely to be diagnosed with BED, according to Beat.

“While it can feel upsetting and overwhelming to experience eating disorder symptoms, it's important to remember that there's nothing to be ashamed of and it's completely possible to make a full recovery,”; says Umairah.

“The first step would be to make a GP appointment as soon as you can.

“If you don't feel comfortable going alone, you could ask a loved one to go with you.”;

Beat also has a leaflet which offers guidance on what you should say to your doctor.

You may be referred to a specialist eating disorder unit, where you'll be further assessed for treatment.

“This could take several forms, such as guided self-help, CBT or other kinds of talking therapy,”; Umairah says.

“But in most cases, this will be on an outpatient basis so you can remain at home while being treated.”;

'I was suicidal after binge eating until I was unconcious'

By Mary Gallagher, Senior Digital Showbiz Reporter

MEL C has previously told how her past struggles with eating disorders and depression led her to feeling suicidal while in the Spice Girls.

The 51-year-old singer said she would binge until she was unconscious, and scrutiny around how she looked made her feel “embarrassed and ashamed”.

In her autobiography, Who I Am, she said: “I would eat cereal and bread to the point of sedation, I would binge until I was unconscious.

“I never, ever made myself sick, but I tried. I felt so disgusting.”

Mel said she struggled to confront her problems and was “afraid” going so “far down that road” she would take her own life.

Mel, who joined the group along with Melanie Brown (Scary), Emma Bunton (Baby), Geri Halliwell (Ginger) and Victoria Adams (Posh) in 1994, added that comments from the public about how she looked and the size of her thighs made her also fear food.

“I was quite unwell for a few years, when I look back,” she said.

“I don’t know physically how I did it; when you consider how little I lived on and how much exercise I was doing alongside a brutal schedule.

“I was embarrassed and ashamed of it. I had to keep it a secret because even though you’re in denial about it, there’s still that tiny little voice going: ‘This isn’t right, you can’t continue like this.'”

Dr Silver adds that it’s important to be kind to yourself during this time.

“The last thing anyone needs when living with an eating disorder is judgement, impatience or hostility,”; she says.

“Kindness and self-compassion is vital for recovering from an eating disorder.

“See moments of challenge as an opportunity to really rally around yourself and develop an inner, compassionate voice that cheerleads for something better for you.”;

Remember, the sooner you get help for binge eating disorder, the better your chances of making a full recovery.

For support, contact Beat on 0808 801 0677 or visit beateatingdisorders.org.uk.