Who are compulsive overeaters?
We find compulsive eaters among men and women of all ages, unlike the other eating disorders which are heavily skewed toward females. However it is women who are more likely to ask for help and this is probably because they are more sensitive to the effects on their appearance. It would not be appropriate to describe the typical compulsive eater but there are some common factors which are interesting: • Most but not all begin to eat compulsively after a period of dieting • Most, but not all would describe themselves as kind • Most put others first and attend to the needs of other people and not themselves • Most, but not all have some difficulty knowing or expressing their needs • Many, but not all lack clarity about how they feel and cannot manage their feelings properly • Most, but not all have low self worth • Most , but not all need to be liked • Psychologically they are otherwise not different to people who eat normally except among those who are particularly overweight Some of th
