Criteria for Diagnosing BED
- Repeated episodes of binge eating, with an associated sense of loss of control over eating
- Episodes include three or more of the following:
- Eating much faster than normal
- Eating until uncomfortably full
- Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
- Eating alone because of embarrassment about overeating
- Feeling disgusted, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
- Episodes at least two days per week for at least six months
Binge eating is not associated with inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as:
- Purging
- Fasting
- Excessive exercise
In addition, binge eating does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
