Triggers of binge eating

    Binge eating is a serious eating disorder characterized by episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, while feeling out of control and unable to stop. Binge eating can be triggered by a variety of factors, including:

• Emotional distress: Binge eating is often triggered by negative emotions, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or boredom.
• Dieting: Dieting can lead to binge eating in a number of ways. First, dieting can create feelings of deprivation and hunger, which can make it more likely to binge eat. Second, dieting can lead to feelings of shame and guilt, which can also trigger binge eating.
• Lack of self-esteem: People with low self-esteem may be more likely to binge eat as a way to cope with negative emotions.
• Body image issues: People with negative body image may be more likely to binge eat as a way to cope with these feelings.
• Genetics: There is some evidence that genetics may play a role in binge eating.

Disordered eating and guilt

    Guilt is a common emotion experienced by people with disordered eating. It can be triggered by a variety of factors, including eating foods that are considered "forbidden," overeating, or not eating enough. Guilt can lead to a number of negative consequences, including further disordered eating behaviors, low self-esteem, and depression. When people feel guilty about eating, they may try to restrict their food intake in an attempt to "make up" for what they've eaten. However, this often backfires, leading to binge eating. Additionally, people with eating disorders may avoid social situations where food is present, out of fear of eating too much or of being judged for their food choices. Guilt can also contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety, which can make it more difficult to cope with disordered eating.

Vacation nutrition

    Sometimes my patients raise concerns about their nutrition over a vacation or another time when they are off their typical schedule. My instinctual response is to assure them that vacation represents a small minority of their life, and to not give it too much importance. But that answer does not really address the core fear. The bigger worry behind this is the fear of loss of control. When you are on your routine, it is easier to stay in control. You can set up your life to make sure you always have the specific food you need when you need it. You can avoid every triggering situation. You can avoid people who might have "forbidden" foods or talk about disallowed topics. It seems that the real work is to be open to all possible circumstances and the real human likelihood of imperfection. 

I was bad yesterday and ate pizza

    The ideals behind this statement bothers me. "Bad" should be reserved for things that are morally wrong. Maybe for insulting a friend or stealing. Eating food doesn't meet that criteria. I understand why people say this and I want to unpack it. There is a perception that pizza is unhealthy. There is a perceived rule that one is supposed to eat healthy foods. There is a feeling of guilt for violating that rule. Then comes the conclusion that eating pizza equates with being bad. Now we need to acknowledge why people eat pizza. A few potential reasons are: hunger--a basic human drive that we all experience and act on every day, desire for pleasure--another normal human drive, and anxiety--who would not use a coping mechanism for anxiety if they can reduce their anxiety with it? Do any of these reasons to eat meat our definition of bad?