What are some of the causes of binge eating disorder?

It is kind of difficult to conclude the exact cause or causes of binge eating. However, research show that the following may be some of the causes:

Constant Dieting ? It's not clear if dieting is a cause of binge eating. It's interesting that fifty percent of the sufferers of binge eating disorder had episodes of binging before they started to diet. Dieting may prolong their recovery.

Depression - No one actually knows for sure if depression is just an effect or is the root cause of binge eating disorder but it has been noted that fifty percent of the individuals with this disorder have a history of depression or are depressed. Additionally many have low levels of serotonin which is a brain chemical responsible for feelings of wellbeing and happiness.

Genetics ? A few researchers have concluded that genes may in some way be involved as it was found that many members of the same family suffered from binge eating.

Emotional Pressure ? Some studies have shown that some individuals who have a tough time handling emotions such as sadness, stress, anger etc or people who suffer from low self esteem often turn to overeating in order to cope and feel better. They binge eat in order to avoid these different emotions.

Signs that can imply that a person has a binge eating disorder include eating very fast, eating unusually big portions and not stopping even if one is already stuffed. These signs can make it challenging to diagnose binge eating in children and teenagers since they tend to eat a lot more in their growing years.

The dangers behind binge eating are the same as the consequences of obesity: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and gallbladder complications. There is also a higher chance of cancer, commonly cancer of the esophagus, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, colon and rectum. In women, there is indication of higher rates of death as a result of cancers of the cervix, ovaries, breast and uterus, and in men cancers of the stomach and prostate.

Binge eating usually comes like a tidal wave. Suddenly, an enormous hunger attacks you and you don't have the power to fight it. No matter what causes a binge eating attack, it is always difficult to face.

If you want to stop binge eating, you should break the process that got you there. Usually, you feel a strong craving, rush to the fridge or the fast food joint, eat without even thinking about it, and then feel guilty and ashamed after you're done.

The Pause is a technique by which you distance or separate the craving from the action you take to get the food. Considering that it's hard to differentiate physical hunger from an emotional craving, this is something you need to do whenever you are about to eat. Next time you feel hunger, you need to stop and take some action that will take your mind off your hunger. Some people simply count to ten and breathe deeply. Others do some sit ups or go for a walk. You need to experiment and find what works for you.