Individuals with bulimia nervosa have distorted body image, they pursue slim body size and use compensatory behavior such as self-induced vomiting, purging, to get rid of calories. But individuals with binge-eating disorder don’t do so, they don’t purge to maintain slim body, therefore people with BED are more likely to be overweight or obese. Since overeating is a usual and common behavior and food is normally considered nutritious and good for us, it is blurry to draw a line between normal amount and too-much. The diagnostic criteria from DSM 5 states that BED can be diagnosed when an individual “eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and binge eating should occur at least once a week for three months, associate with marked psychological distress. For example, eating when not physically hungry, with a quick speed and feeling of guilt and disgust are all symptoms of BED. BED will lead to some serious physical and psychological problems. To be more specific, it often leading to obesity, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, irregular menstrual cycle, chronic kidney problems, etc. psychologically it leads to anxiety, major depression, low self-esteem, self-loathing and so on. In some serious cases, individuals …show more content…
It is now recognized as a separate diagnosis from the EDNOS for the first time. Although BED is a new category in DSM 5, it has a long history in psychology. In 1959, BED was mentioned in psychiatrist Albert Stunkard’s paper Eating Patterns and Obesity. He describes BED as an eating pattern marked by consuming large amounts of food at irregular intervals. (Stunkard, 1959) In 1987, BED was included in DSM for the first time in the 3rd edition, but it was discussed under the bulimia nervosa category as part of it, since they share very similar characteristics. In 1994, BED was moved to appendix B as part of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in DSM-IV, people realized that it is different from BN but it still need to be further studied. Finally in 2013, BED was declared as its own disorder. There are two major pros with the addition of BED to DSM 5. Firstly, it increases people’s awareness and understanding of the severity of BED. Secondly, it helps clinicians to make more accurate diagnosis and better treatment plans. The American Psychological Association states that, “While overeating is a challenge for many Americans, recurrent binge eating is much less common, far more severe, and is associated with significant physical and psychological problems.” (APA, 2013) This statement clearly pinpoint the severity of BED. BED is not simply extreme overeating