Binge-eating disorder

Binge-eating disorder is an eating disorder, the name for health problems that disrupt the way a person eats. At its core is the binge: eating a lot of food in a short time and, while it's happening, feeling that you can't control what you eat or how much. It's a bit like pressing the brake pedal in a car and feeling it not respond. To count as the disorder, these binges must happen at least once a week for 3 months.

Where does it come from? From a mix of factors that add up. There are genes, the instructions we inherit from our parents. There are thoughts and feelings about weight and body shape. And there's everything outside the person: culture, society, and the environment they live in. On top of that, for some people, skipping meals or eating too little can make binges more likely.

One thing sets it apart from bulimia nervosa. In bulimia, people routinely turn to vomiting, laxatives (medicines that make you have a bowel movement), or fasting to keep from gaining weight. In binge-eating disorder, that isn't a regular part of what happens.