How is binge eating different from compulsive overeating, emotional eating, or simple overeating?
The terms “compulsive overeating” and “emotional eating” are often used interchangeably with the term “binge eating.” As with a binge, the hallmarks are feeling unable to control eating and eating more than you feel you should. Often compulsive overeating takes the form of “grazing”-a type of binge that involves eating more or less continuously for a long period of time. Emotional eating involves using food to cope with emotions. Most people overeat from time to time, and many feel they often eat more than they should. Simple overeating may involve breaking self-imposed rules about what or how much to eat, but it is not accompanied by the experience of losing control. Some people who eat large amounts of food regularly but who do not experience emotional distress about their eating or their weight may gain weight from overeating, but they are simple overeaters. The diagnosis of an eating disorder or disordered eating requires feeling a loss of control and experiencing distress such as
