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Binge Eating Disorder: Breaking Banks in Troubled Economy

Many individuals who suffer from binge eating disorders are dealing with additional guilt and stigmatization due to skyrocketing food prices. With many working-class families struggling to purchase basic household necessities at high prices, individuals with eating disorders are facing financial straits.

Binge eating disorder is a recently recognized eating disorder. Individuals suffering from this disorder are unable to control their urges to consume large amounts of food in short periods of time. Unlike typical individuals who simply overeat, binge eaters display "out of control" and extreme behaviors, such as consuming extremely large quantities of food rapidly (as much as 10,000 to 20,000 calories in one sitting), often to the point of vomiting. An average adult consumes between 1,500 and 3,000 in a whole day. Binge eaters also often display complementary unhealthy coping behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or excessive exercise following a binge.

In this troubled economy, experts say, the binge eaters' urges to consume are actually competing with their ability to provide for their families.

(Source: abcnews.go.com)

Posted By: jgarcia