Recognising Binge Eating Disorder: Why Awareness Matters

This blog is about awareness and understanding. Eating disorders affect so many people—men and women—and recognising the signs is the first step toward healing. By shining a light on them, especially Binge Eating Disorder, I hope to encourage anyone struggling to feel less alone and more empowered to take the next step.

First things first—I want to be clear: I am not here to diagnose anyone. If you are struggling with your relationship with food, it’s always important to seek professional support from a doctor, counsellor, or eating disorder specialist.

Eating Disorders: What We Often Recognise

When most people think of an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa come to mind. These conditions are often easier to “spot” because the behaviours are more visible:

• Anorexia Nervosa – Often involves restrictive eating, fasting, excessive exercise, drastic dieting, or laxative use. Underneath this is usually a deep fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, where someone feels deeply unhappy with their body size or shape—even when others may see things very differently.

• Bulimia Nervosa – Typically includes cycles of bingeing followed by compensatory behaviours such as vomiting, over-exercising, or using laxatives. Again, there is often an overwhelming preoccupation with body image.

Both conditions are incredibly serious and deserve professional care and compassion.

The Overlooked Disorder: Binge Eating Disorder

What I really want to talk about here, though, is Binge Eating Disorder (BED)—because it’s the one that often goes unrecognised or misunderstood.

Unlike anorexia or bulimia, BED doesn’t always fit the “stereotype” of an eating disorder.

There’s often no obvious cycle of purging, and someone with BED may not appear underweight—in fact, many people can actually be overweight, while others may sit at a “normal” weight. This is one of the reasons BED often goes unnoticed—the struggles are hidden behind secrecy, shame, or endless cycles of dieting or excessive cardio.

For many, food becomes tied to emotions. It’s a reward, a comfort, or a way of coping with stress. Phrases like “I deserve this,” “It’s been a hard day,” or “I’ll start again tomorrow” become part of the cycle.

The Cycle of Binge Eating Disorder

A person with BED may find themselves stuck in a painful pattern:

• Restricting or “saving calories” all day

• A trigger (stress, reward, loneliness, or even boredom)

• A binge episode—eating large amounts of food, often in secret

• Intense guilt, shame, or self-disgust afterward

• A promise to start over tomorrow… only for the cycle to repeat

This cycle is exhausting, emotionally draining, and physically harmful. Long periods of restriction can slow the body’s metabolism, leaving people tired, low in energy, and craving quick fixes like sugary carbs. When a binge happens, the slowed metabolism may be less efficient at processing energy, making the cycle feel even harder to escape.

Why Self-Honesty and Recognition Matter

One of the biggest barriers with BED is denial. It’s easier to brush it off as “lack of willpower” or to keep trying the next diet, the next workout plan, or the next quick fix. But Binge Eating Disorder is not about laziness or greed—it’s a recognised eating disorder.

That’s why self-honesty is so important. Admitting “this might be a problem” is not weakness—it’s courage. And once you recognise it, you can seek proper help and support.

Healing Your Relationship With Food

Overcoming an eating disorder is rarely quick—it can take months or even years. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is moving forward, step by step, and learning acceptance for yourself along the way.

Recovery can look like:

• Learning what balanced, nourishing food looks like

• Understanding that healthy bodies come in many different shapes and sizes

• Building self-esteem not around the scales but around strength, confidence, and how you feel

• Relieving depression and obsessive thoughts through support and structure

• Learning acceptance for your body as it is right now

Food can become part of your life again—something that fuels you, not something that controls you.

Moving Away From “Food as Reward”

One of the hardest shifts for those with BED is breaking the emotional link with food. Many women use food as a reward, a treat, or even a way of coping with stress. The challenge is finding non-food rewards—things that bring comfort, joy, or relaxation without falling back into the binge-restrict cycle.

This might mean treating yourself to a bath, a massage, taking a long walk, journaling, listening to music, or spending time with people who make you feel good. It’s about building new, healthier ways to care for yourself, treat yourself and reward yourself.

How I Support Women and Men in Their Relationship With Food

Although I am not trained to diagnose or treat eating disorders, part of my coaching is helping clients improve their relationship with food. So many of us have tied emotions to eating—whether it’s rewarding ourselves with treats, eating when stressed, or feeling guilty about what we’ve eaten. My role is to help people step away from that cycle and start to see food for what it really is: fuel.

I do this by teaching the basics of nutrition—understanding food groups, how the body uses energy, and why sustainable eating is far more powerful than restriction or fad diets. One of the main tools I use is encouraging food logging as data and weighing yourself as simply analysing data. This takes the emotion out of it and helps people see clearly how much food their body actually needs and tolerates.

It’s about teaching the true meaning of energy in versus energy out. Yes, it can take months to really learn, but once it clicks, it’s a skill for life. Everyone’s body can tolerate a little bit of “junk,” but the key is understanding how much your body can handle and still make progress toward your goals.

I also help people understand that the body is made up of bone, muscle, and fat—and that the way your body looks and feels is often more important than the number on the scales. A body with more muscle and less fat will look and feel very different, even if the weight itself doesn’t change much.

This shift in perspective is where real freedom and confidence with food begins.

Final Thoughts on Binge Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are not simple. They are complex, deeply personal, and can feel overwhelming. But they are also treatable. The first step is recognition, followed by reaching out for professional support.

Whether you are struggling with anorexia, bulimia, or Binge Eating Disorder—please know you are not alone. Healing takes time, but it is possible. And every small step toward balance, self-acceptance, and a healthier relationship with food is a victory worth celebrating.

If you feel you need a little help or support you can Text SHOUT to 85258 or visit their website Giveusashout.org

Another great website to view if you want to read a little more about Eating Disorders is Beat Eating Disorders Here they also have Helplines, Chatrooms & Resources.

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