During the holidays, or when celebrating, many of us overeat. Some people have problems controlling their appetite and end up eating non-stop until eating is interrupted. Binge eating can be triggered by many things such as stress, depression, loneliness, or anger.
Food is used as a way of dealing with issues other than hunger.
Binges usually consist of foods like cookies, candy, chips, ice cream, and many other high calorie foods. Binges are often done in secret. After a binge, many of the feelings that caused the binge, like stress, may have subsided only to be replaced with feelings of guilt and lack of self-control. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is estimated to be present in up to 5 percent of teenage and young adult women. It is characterized by binge eating followed by purging and other behaviors such as vomiting.