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                    Binge Eating Disorder

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        Binge Eating Disorder
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                Clinical TrialsBinge Eating Disorder

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    ​​Definition & Facts
    Binge eating is when you eat a large amount of food in a short amount of time and feel you can’t control what or how much you are eating. If you binge eat regularly—at least once a week for 3 months—and feel you cannot control your eating, you may have binge eating disorder.
A health care professional talks in her office with a young woman who has obesity.

    Symptoms & Causes
    If you have binge eating disorder, you may eat a large amount of food in a short amount of time and feel you can’t control what or how much you are eating. No one knows for sure what causes binge eating disorder. Like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder may result from a mix of factors related to your genes, your thoughts and feelings—particularly about your eating habits or weight—and social issues.


Diagnosis & Treatment
    A mental health professional can talk with you about psychological symptoms and eating patterns to find out if you have binge eating disorder. Treatment for binge eating disorder includes talk therapy, behavioral weight loss treatment, and medicine. A nutritional counselor trained in disordered eating can help you adopt healthier eating patterns.

    Clinical Trials
    The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support basic and clinical research into many diseases and conditions.

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    Body Weight Planner
    Choosing a Safe & Successful Weight-loss Program
    Keep Active & Eat Healthy to Improve Well-being & Feel Great


Your Digestive System & How It Works
    The digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract—also called the digestive tract—and the liver, pancreas, and the gallbladder. The GI tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus.


Overweight & Obesity Statistics
    Learn how many people are considered to be overweight or have obesity in the United States.


Related Research
    See more about NIDDK’s research in
Obesity
        Last Reviewed May 2021

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                Definition & Facts

                This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
    The NIDDK would like to thank:
Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Ph.D., Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and Thomas A. Wadden, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Contact Us
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