How Is Binge Eating Treated?
People with binge eating disorder should get help from a health professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. Even people who are not overweight are usually upset by their binge eating, and treatment can help them. Treatment usually focuses on improving self-esteem and confidence rather than on losing weight. Short-term psychotherapy — or group therapy — can be very helpful, as can cognitive behavioral therapy, where behaviors that cause the binge eating are changed. Typically, this involves keeping a diary of food eaten, binge episodes, and moods to identify patterns of events, situations, or moods that trigger the binge-eating episodes. Individuals are also taught coping skills to help deal with stressors that contribute to binge eating. For some people, antidepressants like Prozac may also help. Reviewed by the Department of Nutrition Therapy at The Cleveland Clinic. Edited by Charlotte Grayson, MD, WebMD, August 2004.
