Difference Between Binge Eating and Overeating

In this episode of You Ask, We Answer, we address the commonly asked question, “What is the difference between binge eating and overeating, and what actually constitutes Binge Eating Disorder?”

Dr. Michael J. Devlin is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a staff member of the Eating Disorders Research Unit at New York State Psychiatric Institute. He attended medical school at Columbia and completed his psychiatry residency at New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia-Presbyterian. Following his residency, he joined the Eating Disorders Research Unit at NYSPI under the direction of Dr. Tim Walsh, and he has worked with patients with eating disorders and conducted clinical research there since that time. He served on the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline Work Group on Eating Disorders. He is an active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and is a past President of that organization.

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[平田京妃]

Hi I’m a Japanese 18-year-old girl.
I study English to have a good command of English. Also I learn about eating disorder because I’m really suffering from it.
It’s sad for me that I can’t enjoy meals without calculating how much calories I take, but I strongly believe that I can overcome this disease!!
I have a dream of having steaks at a luxurious restaurant with my parents.🍽👨‍👩‍👧
Therefore, I absolutely get over the fear for calories !!!

Thank you for reading my poor English.🙏❤️

[kellietoton]

I have bed, and I'm an alcoholic, haven't drank in almost 5 years. The bed feeling is crazy, like autopilot. I will eat until I'm in such physical pain that I cannot move to eat more. I've found that if I cut out all processed foods it will curb this. For me, if its a processed food, or carb, I cannot control my eating. I can, though, clear an entire cabinet of junk food and keep eating until it hurts to breath. It can be quite scary though, that loss of control where you just cannot stop eating.

[pihdbtf]

When i am sad, or scared but especially when im lonely my first instinct is to eat. I sometimes dont even chew the food i just shove it in me as fast as possible trying to fill that emptiness inside.
It doesnt help, at all most of the times but i still do it cause it becomez an auto.atic thing

[Jindarella_]

I'm always in the red zones on either side constantly and sneaking food and hiding the evidence. I go from one extreme to the other as inbetween, or balanced, is hard to maintain. I've tried to explain this to my GP but they don't understand the level of anxiety I get from not eating lots of food AND from not being able to eat what I want. Then I get depressed because Im putting on weight. I've got anxiety just writing this. For those who don't understand how it feels, I would feel the same level of anxiety and sadness after a breakup, only ALL. THE. TIME.

[ems]

And yet ... Habitual overeating seems to be a widespread issue people struggle with. Given the emotional issues behind habitual overeating, i fall to see why there's no place for it in the DSM.

[promlee]

I’m worried about my overeating behavior becoming binge eating. For instance today I ate 4 meals and the only meal I skipped is the one before noon.

[harryevans]

It took me a fair while to understand this! But as along you don’t feel ashamed, guilty or full like you are going to burst you probably didn’t binge.

I am now a fully recovered binge eater making content to help others and this is my current way of eating.

Breakfast
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Dessert

Following this pattern has helped me stop binge eating

[hannahduggan]

Yesterday, I ate too much. For breakfast, I had a banana. When I went to church, we had church dinner, which is actually lunch. I had meatless lasagna, a chicken leg, some corn, two grape tomatoes, a roll, and a pretzel. For dessert, I had some strawberry cheesecake. I got very full. When I got home, I threw up a little bit. For dinner, I had some of my pasta. I was still in lots of pain from eating way too much. After night church, I ate a cookie that my cousin made. When I got home, I put on my pajamas and went straight to bed.

[helentart]

I had anorexia got no help as I was huge and lost weight now I over eat. And can’t lose weight. I exercise I eat healthy I eat crap, I eat everything. I hate my body

[sweetiett]

I just binged now making myself throw up

[yeetqueen]

I lost control with my eating but I didn’t feel uncomfortably full but I did hide the evidence. I ate 8 Buffalo wings and a steak quesadilla. I ate it really quickly I tried to stop but I couldn’t I felt like I already blew it might as well keep eating. Does this constitute as a binge or just over eating?

[TheApxche]

This sounds exactly like me but i also hate to say i have a disorder because i don’t want to make excuses for myself 🫠