الفهرس 
Binge EatingOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is commonly known by compulsive overeating, or consuming abnormal amounts of food while feeling unable to stop and at loss of control. Binge eating episodes are typically classified as occurring on average a minimum of twice per week for duration of six months.
Commonly mistaken for occasional overeating or indulging, BED is a serious psychological issue associated with devastating emotional and physical consequences. Perhaps one of the most dangerous results of BED is weight gain, which can keep the vicious cycle of compulsive eating alive.
Though BED can occur in men and women of normal weight, it often leads to the development of unwanted weight gain or obesity, which can indirectly reinforce further compulsive eating. Men and women suffering with binge eating disorder struggle with emotions of disgust and guilt and often have a related co-morbidity, such as depression or anxiety. The negative feelings that usually accompany binge eating often lead him or her to continue to use food to cope; thus creating a vicious cycle. Managed eating disorder treatments are extremely important.
Interest in the concept of food addiction has recently received greater attention, in part due to the similarities between the behavioral indicators of addiction and BED, such as diminished control over consumption and continued excessive consumption despite negative consequences. Animal models suggest a relationship between binge eating and addictive-like eating. Given that BED and substance dependence share certain diagnostic indicators, it might be possible that the adaptation of empirically validated therapeutic approaches to drug addiction for BED may improve treatment outcomes. In order to more fully consider this possibility, it is important to examine the relationship between BED and food addiction.
Food addiction, BED and the co-occurrence of these two constructs may have implications for understanding and combating the current obesity epidemic. Specifically, food addiction and BED both appear to be characterized by excess food consumption, which could result in elevated BMIs. BED is associated with severe obesity (BMI > 40), is a risk factor for prospective weight gain, and prospectively predicts the development of metabolic problems above and beyond the risk attributable to obesity.
Although the exploration of food addiction is relatively new, understanding the relationship between food addiction and BED may be informative in identifying the mechanisms underlying the development, maintenance, prevention, and treatment of problematic eating. Among the eating disorders, BED seems particularly linked to addiction given specific features of the disorder (e.g., compulsive eating, excess consumption despite adverse consequences, and diminished self-control over eating behaviors). However, food addiction may also be linked to other patterns of eating behaviors that are associated with non-BED-related obesity.
However evidence of food addiction has been found in lean participants, higher endorsement rates are present in obese samples who also have BED. The utility of an addiction perspective in dealing with obesity may come from the type of substance-focused approach previously used to reduce the impact of widespread tobacco use. In combination with more effective behavioral and pharmacological treatment, much of the reduction in tobacco use in the United States has been attributed to changes in the environment, such as increased taxes, reduced availability of cigarette vending machines and restricted advertising. If highly processed foods are also capable of triggering an addictive process, similar efforts that focus on changing the current food environment may provide substantial public health benefit.
Compulsive overeating has compelling similarities to conventional drug addiction. However, compulsive overeating is unique in the area of addictions as it straddles the divide between substance dependence and behavioral addictions, encompassing characteristics of both. On the one hand, highly palatable food is a dopamine-activating substance that acts on brain reward mechanisms in a similar way to other addictive drugs. On the other hand, eating is analogous to other addictions like gambling or shopping in that the activity itself is rewarding and reinforcing.
Conceptualizing eating behaviors within an addiction framework may help improve prevention strategies, identify potentially novel avenues for developing effective treatments, and inform policy makers with respect to how best to address the obesity epidemic.
One of the many challenges for future research, however, is to understand what factors influence why some vulnerable people abuse drugs or gamble compulsively while others excessively over-indulge in food. The answer, in large part, must lie with social and cultural factors as well as gender, age, socioeconomic status, and relevant personality variables.
from this study we can conclude that prevalence of binge eating disorder in the sample is 19.2%, prevalence of food addiction is 20.2% and there are positive correlation between binge eating, food addiction and increase of severe obesity.