Binge Eating Leading To Health Problems
At
USNews.com, binge eating has been reported as the most prevalent of eating disorders. And, closely linked to the rising obesity epidemic in America, it's misdiagnosis could be leading to serious health problems for many Americans. Debate rages over how to deal with this poorly understood problem, including whether or not
health insurance should cover eating disorders and their treatment.
The Journal of Biological Psychiatry finds that people with eating disorders are four times more likely to suffer from binge eating, though it's anorexia and bulimia that get the most press. These same people suffer from health problems that have long-term impact: they're "five times as likely to be severely obese, which puts them at a greater risk of obesity-related problems like heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, and colon cancer, according to study leader James Hudson, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School."
Like alcoholism, binge eaters respond to food in the same way that a drug effects the brain chemistry of an addict. And, though we often attribute this disease to women, more and more it's a guy thing as well.
The first national survey on eating disorders reported this year that about 850,000 men had suffered from eating disorders, including binge eating. There is some data that heredity may play a role in the health problems faced by these individuals, but for the most part it's environment, including the proliferation of fast food, lack of education regarding health care issues, and a preoccupation with thinness that leads to binge eating.
The health problems that come out of this disorder are difficult to treat, since they are so closely related to emotional and psychological responses. These include issues of self-esteem, feelings of a loss of control, depression, and more.
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Eating Disorders
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Binge eating has been reported as the most prevalent of eating disorders?
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And of course these same health problems are also costly to society as a whole. Health insurance rates are skyrocketing as more and more Americans deal with the cost of being unhealthy. Obesity costs over $70 billion dollars annually in health care, and the growing need for prescription medications are also negatively influencing
health insurance premiums.
There is much debate regarding whether eating disorders should be covered by health insurance, and whether that coverage should fall under psychological treatment, or general health care. However, until binge eating and other eating disorders are better understood by doctors and average people alike, the costs of such a problem will only continue on, effecting more than just those who suffer from the disease.
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