Airys Mind Fitness Blog

Hello!!

I’m sorry I haven’t post in a while. I took a moment for myself after finishing school, and to prepare my thesis research project. After all this holidays that in Mexico start at December 12th and end at February 2nd, I gain (as well as many people I know ) about 4 pounds. Terrifying?! Not at all. It’s time to re-start the program. One thing I did and that really worked to push me back to action was to never quit the program itself. I enjoyed all delicious holiday foods but with caution and smartly. How? Enjoying them!! The best way to taste everything is taking your time to appreciate all flavors and all textures. Enjoying food! This leads me to the topic I left standing by in my last post:

Compulsive Overeating (COD) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED).

Compulsive overeating and binge eating disorders are similar but not the same. There has been a debate about which are the main differences since many definitions of each disorders include any of both terms to refer to eat beyond necessary, uncontrollably.

In both disorders, the person eats a lot, even when not hungry and has weight fluctuations, often remains overweight or becomes obese. They are aware that that they have an abnormal eating behavior, but often doesn’t know what causes it. These people often try to start a diet, but usually withdrawals from it due to poor self-control over his or her eating behavior.

These disorders are very common and very dangerous because they can lead to a large number of other long term problems like obesity, hypertension and diabetes. According to some statistics, these disorders are the most common in certain parts of the planet, specially developed countries where anxiety and depression are also common public health problems.

Another characteristic is that people usually eats alone and hide food. This condition appears more COD than in BED. Sometimes, they eat little in public and tend to eat more when alone.

Someone with COD can have a binge episode. A binge episode is when a person eats a very large amount of food, very rapidly and totally losing control of his or her behavior. Under these circumstances, the person can feel sick, dizzy or even pass out after the episode.  These episodes, as well as regular compulsive overeating, often occur while performing other activities like watching T.V.

The main difference between these disorders is that people with COD usually thinks a lot about food. They fantasize about eating and even plan how are they going to eat the food. They can’t wait to be eating certain food (like pasta or milk, for example) and may have withdrawal symptoms (as if food was some kind of drug; they actually crave for it).

A person with COD eats large amounts of food during the day; they eat continuously, even small quantities at a time, while a person with BED eats a very large amount of food, very quickly, through episodes that can be one or several during the day, and last little. Usually in both diseases, after an episode, the person feels guilt and remorse, but different from bulimia, they don’t purge or do anything else to redeem themselves.  To diagnose COD or BED, the person must have at least two episodes per week during the past three months.

COD and BED have been related to emotions. Many authors and researchers support that these are triggered by certain feelings as sadness, anger, boredom and even happiness. There seems to be a relationship between ever been depressed and have one of these disorders. In my personal experience, as a psychologist and as a sufferer of COD in recovering, I can tell that, most of times, these disorders are a symptom of something else; probably another emotional problem that has to be treated first.  Some authors call them an expression disorder because its appearance reveals a deeper issue.

A normal human being may have some of these episodes at any point of their lives, or have a period in which we just can’t stop eating, without having a disorder (not met diagnosis criteria). One tip to avoid overeating is to enjoy food. If you like food, then love it!! Feel all flavors, textures, aromas and colors. Give small bites and chew many times. Keep potions small and stick to your choice of food. Try this exercise a few times a week and then try it at least once a day (just like an exercise program) and then, without even noticing it, you’ll be doing it regularly, losing pounds, enjoying food, guilt and remorse free! Another tip is to avoid hunger, eat five times a day, three main meals and have two snacks in order to feel fulfilled all day long and forget about eating more than you need. Try to keep healthy habits like avoiding carbonate sugar drinks, as well as junk food and unhealthy snacks at home and keep stress away by exercising. If you like chocolate cake, don’t forbid it! Having a treat every now and then won’t do any harm. Just, don’t buy the entire cake, just the split you will eat and enjoy it as it were the last one you will ever have. You can even have a junk food day and have a treat, with caution, only on this day. Always remember that there is no bad food, just bad eaters. Don’t classify food as good or bad; just make smart choices advised by a nutritionist.

The most important part of the treatment is to accept the problem and seek for help. This disorder is not a matter of will, and going out of this alone is difficult. Nowadays we can count on support groups in many countries, look for your local group and give it a try. Most important is to find a medical guidance. Make sure you tell your doctor your actual concerns. Probably the doctor will tell you to ask for an appointment with a psychologist; he or she will help you to reorganize your activities and talking about your feelings will make a big difference. Just make sure you feel comfortable with them (doctor, psychologist and support group) and try to attach to treatment. A little piece of advice, when considering any consult, is to feel comfortable with your health professional, because otherwise treatment will fail and you’ll be right where you started. Don’t give up!

If you have any specific concerns please feel free to ask.

Have a wonderful week!!

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