How Diet Culture Drives Binge-Eating Disorder

"This is what we know: Dietary restriction (also called caloric deprivation) results in hunger, which leads to a biologically driven binge. My previous mentor liked to say that our bodies don't care if we are happy; they want us to survive. So just as depriving your body of fluids creates extreme thirst (our body's way of urging us to drink water)"

"Binge-eating often causes someone to feel ashamed, and then another restrict-binge cycle begins. In other words, the latest diet du jour may be leading you to binge. Studies show that any form of restriction is associated with increased rates of binge-eating episodes. When we restrict our food intake, our bodies think we're starving. Restrictions trigger biological responses, like intensified hunger hormones, a slower metabolism, and an overwhelming need to eat."

Wellness and diet culture encourage restrictive eating patterns that increase risk for binge-eating disorder, which affects about 3 percent of the U.S. population. The restraint model shows that caloric deprivation produces biological hunger signals that precipitate biologically driven binges. Restriction triggers intensified hunger hormones, a slower metabolism, and an overwhelming need to eat. Binge episodes commonly produce shame, which fuels repeated restrict-binge cycles. Empirical studies link any form of restriction to higher rates of binge-eating episodes. Effective care for binge-eating disorder emphasizes flexible, regular eating rather than further restriction.

Read at Psychology Today