I want to stop binge eating

Binge eating can mean different things to different people. For some it is a ritual where they buy special binge foods, eaten in a certain way, often in secret, consuming a large amount of food, much more than their body actually needs. Others who are more rule-bound with their eating may see having a desert at a meal as having a binge. It is all down to perspective. The bottom line here is you feel that you have eaten more food than you should have eaten, and you end up feeling bad and ashamed about what you have just done.

When I speak with clients on the phone for an initial phone assessment, I often here in their story that they want to ‘stop binge eating.’ They feel their eating is broken – somehow and somewhere in life, their food world and emotional world have become stuck together. Over time they have established a habit of behaviour, thoughts and feelings that maintain their binge eating.

I wouldn’t be speaking to people unless their eating behaviour and feelings about themselves, often their weight, and their life are so unhinged that they need expert support. I think it is important to acknowledge that for many people, emotional eating, comfort eating or binge eating are ways they have learned to cope with life. Taking away this support strategy can feel scary and bring on anxiety at some level, even though the binge eating makes them desperately unhappy.

Showing compassion, understanding and acceptance of how, why and when binge eating started is important. Finding out what maintains binge eating, and any obstacles to letting it go, are essential in the treatment of binge eating. The WeightMatters Team are trained to look at this bigger picture of eating behaviour. It is important that we understand the context for your binge eating; this is your story, and one standard treatment pathway certainly does not fit all. We flex our treatment plan, and how we work with you, to match you and your individual needs.

‘I want to stop binge eating’ can mean different things to different people. Binge eating disorder is the most prevalent eating disorder in the UK, and there are many undiagnosed cases in people that struggle with obesity and their weight. We pride ourselves on listening and understanding your story, so we can be effective in helping you stop binge eating.