How many of us can really resist getting seconds (or thirds) when grandma cooks her famous collard greens, pot roast and sweet potatoes? Not too many people that I know.
But, there is a thin line between eating and binge-eating disorder. The latter is a life-threatening disorder with several health risks.
READ: Eating Disorders: Do You Know The Warning Signs?
This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and many people have never heard of binge-eating disorder, or BED. Yet, BED, is a very common thing – plaguing an estimated 2.8 million American adults. It’s also the most prevalent eating disorder for African Americans, a National Survey of American Life study found.
Here is a list of symptoms for binge-eating disorder:
- Eating a larger portion of food than most people would eat within a two-hour period, or having no sense of control over the amount of food you eat
- Eating until you feel too full or uncomfortable
- Eating just to be eating – not because you’re actually hungry
- Feeling too embarrassed by the amount of food you eat to dine with others
- Feeling guilty about the amount of food you just ate