Hyperphagia is an eating disorder (ED) of psychiatric origin. It is characterized by the consumption of food in very large quantities. Unlike the bulimic person, the binge does not make himself vomit.
[Mis à jour le 15 novembre 2022 à 09h57] Among the eating disorders (TCA), binge eating. Unlike the bulimic person, the hyperphage does not make itself vomit. How do you know if you have binge eating disorder? What causes? How to get out? What health hazards? Discovery with Marie-Laure André, dietitian and nutritionist.
Binge eating disorder is a disorder of eating behavior (TCA). “It means the ingestion of too much food in a limited timeexplains Marie-Laure André, dietician and nutritionist. these desires, irrepressible and without feeling hungry, occur by crisis. Food is swallowed continuously, sometimes even without chewing. It’s a food pathology of psychiatric origin“. After the crisis follows an episode of deep malaise, mixing self-loathing, shame and guilt. But unlike the bulimic person, the binge does not make itself vomit, which very often leads to overweight or even obesity. According to the Foundation for Medical Research, it affects both women and men. Between 3 and 5% of the population is affected. In addition to the discomfort it causes, this disorder can ultimately lead to health problems due to the overweight it causes: type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure…
It manifests as follows:
- Lcontinuous ingestion of diverse and varied foodswith no particular preference
- An extreme state of nervousness
- The binge eat alone
- He only stops when he feels a very intense feeling of fullness.
The exact cause of overeating is not widely known. “Not being a physiological need, the development of such eating disorders would be the need to “fill a void”, says Marie-Laure André. There is very often an associated emotional disorder.” Hyperphagous people are most often anxious, very stressed, even depressed.
If the crisis occurs at night, difficult to resist. “Darkness is often a stress factor and compulsive eating appears to be lifesaving”, says our expert. It is more during the day, therefore upstream, that the crisis must be dealt with. Because according to experts, this disorder is linked to a significant desire to control one’s food during the day, leading to compulsions at night. “By avoiding food restriction and demonizing certain foods, managing anxiety and stress…it is possible to reduce nocturnal binge,” says the dietitian.
Experts only talk about binge eating behavior if the seizures happen at least once a week on a 3 month period. The diagnosis is based on the observation of the behaviors described by the patient: the irrepressible food compulsion, the psychological disorders which follow… as well as the overweight which is often correlated with this health problem. “Many sufferers feel shame about this problem and remain alone, isolated, without getting help.remarks Marie-Laure André. You have to feel guilty and the first step is to dare to talk about it to those around you to find support.“.
Consult your doctor first. He or she can refer you to a dietitian as well as a psychologist specializing in eating disorders. Because a follow-up only food is not enough to take care of this TCA.
Medical and nutritional monitoring is in place. In parallel, this TCA is treated by a psychiatrist specializing in behavioral and cognitive therapies. This therapy is often very effective in the management of eating disorders.
Hypnosis is cognitive therapy. In this sense it can help the hyperphagic patient to control his food intake. “This treatment acts in depth to seek the cause of this behavior and modify the patient’s perception of it and calm the related emotions, explains our expert. Little by little, the crises become less frequent and then disappear”. The patient improves his relationship with food and rediscovers the pleasure of eating.
Thanks to Marie-Laure André, dietitian-nutritionist.