There are parallels between drug addiction and binge-eating disorder.  Certain foods - especially those high in fat and sugar - act on the brain in the same way as drugs. Both activate the dopamine reward system. Throughout human evolution foods high in fat and sugar were difficult to obtain. Whenever they could be found our brain gave us a reward; a strong hit of dopamine, a reward which served as an incentive to seek out even more fat and sugar. However, this reward system has become dysfunctional in a world where fat and sugar are overabundant.
This model - assuming the hook is not to food, but to dopamine - treats binge eating disorder as an addiction.
The above theories are different perspectives on the same issue, general theories with considerable overlap between them. While general theories may apply, what the individual brings to the disorder - in terms of their personal history - should not be forgotten.