Binge eating

Binge Eating Disorder (or Hyperphagia) is a severe and life-threatening eating disorder characterized by recurring episodes of consuming large amounts of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort), followed by a sense of loss of control and feelings of guilt, shame, and distress. Unlike bulimia, there is no use of compensatory measures to get rid of (purge) the food that was consumed. The tendency to binge eat often leads to weight gain and obesity, which only reinforces the compulsive eating. It becomes a vicious cycle: eating to feel better, which is followed by negative emotions, and a return to food for relief.