Binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the most misunderstood, minimized, and stigmatized eating disorders, largely because of how it’s associated with higher weight bodies, “out of control” eating, and deeply entrenched diet culture beliefs.

Unlike anorexia or bulimia, binge eating disorder is often treated as a moral failing instead of a serious mental health condition. People with BED are told to “just eat less,” “have more self-control,” or are pushed toward weight-loss interventions that actually make symptoms worse.

This misunderstanding doesn’t just fuel shame. It actively prevents people from getting the care they deserve.

In this post, I’ll unpack what binge eating disorder actually is, how it’s diagnosed, and five essential things to know about BED and its treatment, especially if you or someone you love is struggling with binge eating.

Why Binge Eating Disorder Is So Misunderstood

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in North America, affecting roughly 3% of adults over their lifetime, and yet it’s often taken the least seriously.

Because BED is associated with eating large amounts of food, feeling out of control around food, and being at a higher weight, it’s frequently framed as a willpower issue rather than a psychiatric diagnosis.

This is deeply rooted in fatphobia, or the belief that higher-weight bodies are inherently unhealthy, undisciplined, or morally inferior. When binge eating shows up in thinner bodies, it’s often met with concern. When it shows up in larger bodies, it’s often met with judgment, dieting advice, or praise for “trying to lose weight.”

But binge eating disorder is not about laziness, gluttony, or lack of discipline. It is a serious mental health condition that can significantly impact physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, and quality of life.

What Is Binge Eating Disorder?

According to the DSM-5 (the diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals), binge eating disorder is diagnosed based on the following criteria:

Diagnostic Criteria for Binge Eating Disorder

Recurrent episodes of binge eating, defined as:

• Eating a large amount of food in a discrete period of time
• Accompanied by a sense of loss of control

The binge episodes are associated with three or more of the following:

• Eating much more rapidly than normal
• Eating until uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry
• Eating alone due to embarrassment
• Feeling disgusted, depressed, or deeply ashamed afterward
• Marked distress regarding binge eating.
• Binge eating occurs at least once per week for three months.
• The binge eating is not accompanied by compensatory behaviours (such as purging) and does not occur exclusively during anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or ARFID.

Why Diagnosis Isn’t Always Clear-Cut

In real life, eating disorders rarely fit neatly into diagnostic boxes.

Many people binge eat without meeting full diagnostic criteria for BED. Others meet the criteria sometimes, but not consistently. Some people move between eating disorder diagnoses over time.

There are also important limitations to the diagnostic criteria:

• What qualifies as a “large amount” of food is subjective
• Diet culture has distorted our perception of normal eating
• Eating more after under-eating all day is often mislabeled as a binge
• Eating to discomfort happens sometimes and is not automatically disordered

Because of this, many people believe they have a binge eating disorder when what they’re actually experiencing is biologically driven rebound eating from restriction.

And regardless of diagnosis, here’s what matters most: If your relationship with food is causing distress or interfering with your life, you deserve support.

Five Things to Know About Binge Eating Disorder

1. Restriction Is a Core Part of Binge Eating Disorder

While BED is defined by binge eating, it is fundamentally linked to restriction.

Binge eating does not happen in a vacuum.

There is almost always a restrict–binge cycle at play—whether that restriction is physical, emotional, or both.

Physical Restriction

This includes:

• Skipping meals
• Undereating
• Cutting out foods or food groups
• Chronic dieting

Even if the restriction doesn’t reach the level of anorexia, it still has a powerful biological impact. When the body is underfed, it responds with intense hunger signals, food preoccupation, and urgency around eating.

Every client I’ve worked with who has binge eating disorder has a history of dieting. Many have experienced anorexia, formally diagnosed or not, earlier in life. The brain remembers starvation. It becomes hyper-vigilant when food feels uncertain.

From the body’s perspective, binge eating is not a problem, but rather a solution to perceived scarcity.

Emotional Restriction

Emotional restriction happens when:

• You allow yourself to eat a food
• But feel guilt, shame, or fear afterward

This creates the same scarcity response. If eating a food comes with punishment, your nervous system learns that the food is unsafe—even if it’s technically “allowed.”

Both forms of restriction increase binge eating vulnerability.

2. Binge Eating Disorder Can Occur at Any Size

Although BED is often associated with higher-weight bodies, people across the weight spectrum can and do experience binge eating disorder. Some people gain weight as a result of binge eating; some do not. Some bodies resist weight change entirely. Weight is not a reliable indicator of eating disorder severity.

Eating disorders are dangerous because of the behaviors, the psychological distress, and the impact on quality of life—not because of how someone looks.

And it’s important to say clearly:

• BMI is not a valid measure of health
• Weight is not a prerequisite for care
• Mental health matters regardless of body size

People deserve treatment because they’re struggling—not because they meet an arbitrary weight threshold.

3. Binge Eating Serves a Function

Binge eating is not about pleasure.

In fact, binge eating is often a deeply disconnected experience. Many people report feeling numb, dissociated, or on autopilot during a binge.

In binge eating disorder, bingeing serves a function.

Common functions include:

• Numbing overwhelming emotions
• Reducing anxiety or stress
• Self-punishment or self-harm
• Regulating the nervous system
• Coping with trauma

For some people, binge eating is the only tool they’ve ever had to manage distress.

That doesn’t mean it’s a healthy tool, but it does mean it makes sense.

Recovery is not about ripping away a coping mechanism and hoping for the best. It’s about:

• Reducing the vulnerabilities that lead to binge eating
• Building distress tolerance
• Expanding coping capacity
• Creating safety with food

4. Treatment Involves Learning to Eat Binge Foods, Not Eliminating Them

One of the most counterintuitive (and essential) parts of binge eating disorder treatment is this: healing does not come from avoiding binge foods. It comes from learning how to eat them safely and consistently.

When a food feels scarce, forbidden, or emotionally loaded, it’s nearly impossible to eat it calmly. Treatment focuses on normalizing binge foods, so they lose their urgency and power. This can look different for each person.

Stocking Binge Foods

Some clients benefit from keeping large quantities of binge foods at home to create a sense of security. I once worked with a client who binged on a certain flavour of potato chip. We stocked several bags. At first, she ate a lot of them. Over time, the urgency faded, and eventually she threw some away because they went stale. Now? Chips are just chips.

Planned Exposure

Other clients prefer structured exposure, like packing candy with lunch or including chips with dinner, so they can practice eating binge foods in a connected way.

There is no one “right” approach. The goal is trust:

• Trust that the food will be available
• Trust yourself around it

5. Treatment Is Availabl, But It Is Not Dieting

Because binge eating disorder is misunderstood, many people are steered toward weight-loss interventions instead of eating disorder treatment.

This includes:

• Diet programs
• Weight-loss medications
• Bariatric surgery

Binge eating is extremely common in weight-loss settings. Research estimates that:

• 9–29% of people seeking weight loss report binge eating
• Up to 47% of bariatric surgery candidates meet criteria for BED

Dieting does not treat binge eating disorder. It intensifies it.

Recovery involves:

• Eating enough, consistently
• Reducing physical and emotional restriction
• Challenging food and body myths
• Rebuilding trust with hunger and fullness

From a food perspective, this often includes:

• Three meals per day
• Multiple snacks
• Flexible structure
• Permission for all foods

Effective treatment is multidisciplinary, typically involving:

• A therapist or counsellor
• A dietitian or nutritionist
• A primary care provider
• Sometimes a psychiatrist

The Role of Shame in Binge Eating Disorder

Shame is one of the most powerful drivers of binge eating.

Many people with BED feel profound self-loathing and secrecy around their eating. And shame thrives in silence. One of the most healing parts of recovery is being able to say: “This is what’s happening with food,” and being met with empathy instead of judgment.

You Deserve Support

Binge eating disorder is not a personal failure. It is not a lack of willpower. If your relationship with food feels overwhelming, chaotic, or painful, you deserve care, right now, not after you lose weight or “get worse.” For more information on the services provided by Sarah Berneche Nutrition, click here.