At one time or another, we all find ourselves stuffing our stomachs with food. For some, overeating has become such a serious concern in that it becomes a regular habit that can’t be controlled. Overeating is way for them to cope with negative emotions like stress. The key features of binge eating include:
• Uncontrollable episodes of overeating that occur frequently
• Feeling upset or extremely distressed after overeating
People who can’t control their overeating habits have been known to struggle with feelings of disgust, depression and guilt over not being able to control themselves.
Effects of overeating/binge eating disorder
Overeating leads to a variety of social, emotional and physical problems. In fact, people who struggle with overeating report more suicidal thoughts, insomnia, stress as well as health issues compared to those who don’t have an eating disorder. Substance abuse, anxiety and depression are also common side effects of overeating. However, the most common effect of this condition is obesity and weight gain.
Obesity and overeating
With time, overeating leads to increased weight gain thus obesity. In turn, obesity increases the risk of various health conditions including Type II diabetes, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal problems, joint and muscle pains, osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer, heart disease, increased blood pressure, high cholesterol and gallbladder disease among others.
Loss of self confidence and overeating
Due to increased weight, people who overeat start to worry excessively about their appearance as well as social image. They end up losing their self esteem and to cope, they deprive themselves of the foods they love but at the end of the day, they end up eating more.
High cholesterol and calories
Increased food intake leads to increment of cholesterol in the body and this also increases the risk of medical conditions mentioned in the third paragraph.
There are various ways you can ensure that you eat just what the body needs while at the same maintaining healthy levels of calories and other nutrients. Such include;
• Eat only three meals every day ensuring that you jumpstart your day with a healthy breakfast followed by a balanced lunch and dinner
• Exercise regularly
• Rather than snack when you get bored, consider other alternatives like calling a friend, taking a walk or taking up a new hobby
• Keep a food diary where you keep track of what and how much you eat as well as how you feel after eating
• Stop dieting
• Avoid temptation by getting rid of snacks, desserts or junk foods out of your house or your office