Question:
Why isn't overeating REALLY considered an eating disorder???
Bulimia and anorexia are readily accepted by everyone-psychiatric and medical communities as well as most lay persons as true illnesses. Of course insurance companies cover treatments for these illnesses, people have sympathy for people with these disorders, etc. There's a Lifetime movie about anorexia on AGAIN tonight. I call it the "glamorous" eating disorder (tongue in cheek, of course). LOL. Why is there such a discrepancy in how these eating disorders are viewed and how compulsive overeating (or binge eating) is viewed? — M. B. (posted on June 1, 2002)
June 1, 2002
I never gave it much thought, but you are quite right. Why isn't
overeating that leads to obesity considered a disease therefore, coverable
by insurance. In the long run, that kind of coverage would lead to
healthier and less costly patients for the insurers I would think.
— Louise M.
June 1, 2002
I've always thought that was interesting myself. Interestingly, since
overeating is something that everyone does on occasion, it is not usually
considered serious ... until it causes obesity ... whereas, I guess,
bulimia and anorexia can be very harmful within the first year of the
disease. I think you're right ... these diseases are viewed as more
acceptable or "glamorous" by society than binge eating, which is
viewed as more repugnant. I think it's a societal error and we should be
viewing binge eating as just as serious as the other "more
serious" eating disorders. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating can all
lead to death.
— Terissa R.
June 1, 2002
It is a cultural thing. Binge eating has historically been called gluttony
and is considered a sin, within the willful control of the sinner. Look at
this way: insurance currently pays for the costly consequences of many
other sins, why not gluttony, too?
— merri B.
June 1, 2002
I think that Terissa is right in that most people overeat some (or I think
most) of the time, so it's difficult for our society to see it as an eating
disorder. I personally think that the majority of people in America are
gluttons--I know I see people around me overeating all the time, and most
of them are not fat. Also, I know some fat people (myself included) who
have never been binge eaters. So, I think it's difficult to always make a
correlation between overeating and obesity--which is probably why it's
difficult to view overeating as an eating disorder. Of course, some people
do view overeating as an eating disorder, or Overeaters' Anonymous would
not exist. Also, there is a hospital here in Tulsa, OK, that treats ALL
eating disorders, including binge eating.
— Kristie B.
June 2, 2002
I agree with Merri. She hit the nail on the head.
— Danmark
June 2, 2002
I do believe over eating should be put in the same classication has a
addiction(food, drug or anything else. I'm the first to start the band
wagon.
— rita M.
June 2, 2002
What about those of use who don't over-eat but eat the wrong things? I eat
less than both my hubby and brother and they are skinny rails...I'm not
(obviously lol). Fat bodies - period - should be considered diseased and
any medical means necessary to fight the disease should be employed and
covered by insurance!
— [Deactivated Member]
June 2, 2002
Frequent episodes of binging is aknowleged as an eating disorder called
Binge Eating Disorder (essentially non-purging Bulimia). I have heard that
more and more hospitals that have programs for Anorexia and Bulimia are
starting programs for BED. I agree with Ruth that eating the wrong things
also has a lot to do with rampant obesity (it's just so easy to pick up a
Big Mac on the way home, right?), but I doubt they'll come up with a name
for that, lol.
— [Deactivated Member]
August 23, 2002
"Garden-variety" compulsive overeating (other than bulimia) will
NEVER be given the attention that anorexia/bulimia gets because it's just
another manifestation of fat discrimination. People with anorexia and
bulimia (with a few exceptions) aren't fat! (Duh!) Therefore, it's OK to be
sympathetic. But if you're a compulsive overeater (which is essentially
the polar opposite of anorexia), you're just considered a fat pig. I agree
that, while anorexia and bulimia are serious problems indeed, overeating
should be given the same consideration and sympathy that anorexia and
bulimia receive, from the medical community as well as the general public.
Could you imagine if anorexic/bulimic individuals were subjected to the
same hell that obese people are? For example, let's put me as an anorexic
child, rather than an overweight child, in my pediatrician's office 25
years ago. Would he have said "She's disgusting! She looks like a
50-year-old lady!" Would the salesgirl in Lane Bryant walk up to the
extremely thin woman shopping in the store and hautily proclaim
"Excuse me, ma'am, we don't have anything in your size here."
Would children stop their parents in the mall to point and exclaim
"ooh, Mommy, look at the skinny lady!" Would well-meaning but
tactless coworkers tell someone suffering from anorexia "You just have
to change your eating habits. Just try going to MacDonalds and stop
exercising! Have a little willpower!"
— Joyce C.
August 23, 2002
I just wanted you to know that actually Binge EAting disorder is in the
Diagnostical and Statistical Manual used by Psychologists and mental health
professionals for determining mental disorders. You just have to meet the
criteria. Some obese people do meet it and others don't depending on a
variety of criteria. In addition, more and more is being taught about this
disorder in graduate classes, and more research has focused on this issue
in recent years. I'm a doctoral student in clinical psych. So just for your
FYI.
— Tabatha M.
September 2, 2002
Love your post Joyce! You are so right. If you are fat...it is your fault
and NO ONE feels sorry for you. Just stop eating so much! When in
actuality, many of us already eat much less than our thinner counterparts.
My husband is a TRUE glutton, doesn't exercise, and at 6'4 he weighs a
measely 160 lbs. Sadly, many of our models and tv stars are anorexic and
bulemic and they are considered beautiful and perfect. You dont see many
250lb. models! Insurance doesn't want to pay out if you are wanting help
for being obese. But they are more than happy to pay out for alcoholics,
drug addicts, depression, anorexia, bulemia, and even some will pay for sex
therapy. In actuality, all these problems are most always SELF caused.
— Shawnie S.
March 3, 2003
It's true Binge Eating is a diagnostic condition, however, the psych field
had better get moving fast on appropriate methods of treating this
disorder. As everyone here has mentioned, there is a definite "no
interest" attitude going on in the psych field, I have had many
therapists and not one has ever wanted to treat my obesity issues, not one,
they move onto other issues, but they are wrong, not any one issue for me
is going to cure me of a genetic, passed down behavior, and physically
different whatever, that I am suffering from. My mother told me "when
you reach a certain age you will pop out like the rest of us." I
didn't believe her for a second, me being the thinist in the family, I
thought she just needed to exercise and eat right and she was in denial,
BUT, Low and behold, age 39, I popped out and within a few years I zoomed
from a mere 130 to 300lbs. Oh I remember every agonizing moment of weight
gain, I have never gained control again. My mother had by-pass surgery
when it was experimental, (they no longer do the surgery she had). She
said her doc sent her to have this surgery because the doc and the hospital
believed she would never loose weight any other way. How about those
ideas. Who knows. Today, docs are baffled and so is the psych field,
there hasn't been enough time spent on obesity but I think that is about to
change.
— Debbie B.
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