The Secret Life of a Binge Eater

It can wreak havoc on your health and your relationships, but tackling compulsive eating takes an emotionally intelligent approach.

- Faye Rowe

Absentmindedly munching your way through an entire packet of biscuits while engrossed in Netflix could be considered a late night ‘snaccident’ but, for a growing number of people in the UAE, compulsive eating is putting their health at risk.

“The precise prevalence of eating disorders in the MENA region is difficult to pinpoint, but anecdotal evidence and cultural factors suggest it may be higher than in other parts of the world,” says Carine el Khazen, Clinical Psychologist of American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology (ACPN), which runs an eating disorders outpatient service at its branches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. “We are seeing a rising number of adults affected by binge eating, which results in the same health risks associated with clinical obesity, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. The disorder also has an impact on relationships with family, friends and colleagues, causing sufferers to feel more isolated. Plus, binge eaters are also at a greater risk of psychiatric issues such as anxiety and depression. This it what makes it challenging to spot and, in turn, to be able to encourage those who are affected to seek help.”

According to Middle East Eating Disorders Association (MEEDA), binge eating disorder (BED) is characterised by excessive eating in a short space of time – even when the person isn’t hungry. Binges are usually planned – almost like a ritual – with special foods being eaten in private. Unlike other eating disorders such as bulimia, however, binge-eating episodes aren’t followed by purging, like making yourself sick or taking laxatives, as an attempt to control weight. Both men and women can be affected and it’s most commonly experienced in those aged 20 to 40.

Complex causes