Are binge eaters overweight?
The majority of binge eaters are overweight. Some may be just a little bit overweight. Some may be extremely overweight, or obese. Researchers have found that up to 40 percent of people who are obese may be binge eaters. Many binge eaters are born with bodies that don’t quite measure up to the ideal in our culture. In other words, no matter how hard they try to lose weight, they will never look like models. But they may still try to get close to that idealso they diet all the time. That makes them extremely hungry, which then leads them to binge. It’s a vicious cycle that’s hard to break. Binge eaters usually prefer to eat foods that are high in calories, and especially high in fat. Pizza, ice cream, cake, cookies, and candy are some of a binge eater’s favorite foods. She may eat as much as 10,000 calories in an hour or two. But, like other eating disorders, binge eating is not really about food or weight. It is a way to cope with the stresses of everyday life and with deeper emotional
