The stigma surrounding binge eating disorder
Binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of uncontrolled food intake , accompanied by a feeling of loss of control and emotions such as guilt or shame. Unlike other eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, binge eating disorder is not associated with the recurrent presence of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (such as vomiting or laxative use) and is usually related to weight gain or obesity.
The stigma associated with this disorder is high and complex, and can affect the mental health of the affected person and the social perception of them, but it can also make it difficult to seek treatment.
Binge eating disorder in adults
Below we analyze some key aspects of the stigma surrounding binge eating disorder.
The social stigma of being overweight and appearance
The social stigma associated with obesity tends to focus on the established beauty standard and the mistaken assumption that the person deviates from it voluntarily. The prevailing beauty standard promotes a slim and slender body as synonymous with attractiveness or worth. Aesthetic ideals change according to culture, historical period, and social circumstances, but they share the characteristic of exerting control over individual and collective perceptions of the ideal .
This aesthetic ideal is also promoted by the economic interests of the fashion, diet, and cosmetics industries, fostering body insecurity and the formation of a negative and urgent internal dialogue for change in accordance with social demands.
It's often assumed that a slim body is synonymous with health and that a heavier body is unhealthy, when this may not be the case. Furthermore, there's a belief that obesity is solely caused by poor nutrition or lack of exercise , and therefore easily changed.
People are blamed for voluntarily deviating from the established beauty standard, which promotes a slim and slender body as synonymous with attractiveness and health.
For this reason, people who don't conform to this physical stereotype are blamed , attributing it to a lack of willpower or discipline. These beliefs lead to attitudes that contribute to a negative body image and prevent people from seeing what may actually be affecting their health. Obesity is a complex phenomenon involving medical, psychological, and environmental factors.
Misinformation and aesthetic pressure increase stigma and discrimination against people with obesity in all areas of life: family, social, medical, work, school and even in the media.
Misinterpretation of symptoms in binge eating disorder
One of the key challenges of binge eating disorder is that its symptoms are often misinterpreted and, in many cases, minimized. This confusion stems from a lack of understanding about the compulsive nature of the disorder, which contributes to making it difficult for people with binge eating disorder to both ask for help and receive empathy or support.
The main ways to misinterpret symptoms are:
Confusion with lack of willpower or self-control
Many people incorrectly assume that binge eating disorder is simply a matter of overeating and a lack of self-control, when in reality it involves a much deeper range of emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms. During a binge-eating episode, the person experiences a genuine loss of control over their food intake , which distinguishes it from an episode of "overeating," which anyone can experience from time to time.
Sara Fernández
Lack of awareness of nutritional and emotional needs
In binge eating disorder, one of the key difficulties is the individual's lack of awareness regarding their own nutritional and emotional needs. Some of the most common mistakes are:
- Confusion between physical hunger and emotional hunger. Physical hunger is defined as the biological need for food, while emotional hunger is the desire to alleviate an emotion through food. Emotional hunger often arises during times of stress, anxiety, sadness, or even boredom, and presents as an urgent need to eat, even though the person is not actually physically hungry. Instead of functional or adaptive strategies for managing emotions, such as talking to someone or engaging in relaxation activities, the person may turn to food, perpetuating the binge-eating cycle. Over time, the confusion between emotional and physical hunger becomes a barrier to recognizing true needs.
Many people incorrectly assume that binge eating disorder is just a matter of overeating and a lack of self-control, when in reality it involves a much deeper range of emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms.
- Disconnection from bodily signals. People with binge eating disorder often disconnect from their body's internal signals, such as hunger and satiety . During binge episodes, they commonly continue eating beyond what their body needs, driven by compulsion and the urge to eat in response to emotional factors or stressful situations. This disconnection from physical signals can cause the person to eat automatically, without being aware of when they are satisfied. Over time, this disconnection contributes to the person feeling even more out of control regarding food and their own physical needs.
- Difficulty recognizing emotional states. Using food as an emotional substitute. Instead of identifying and expressing their emotions, the person turns to food for quick and momentary gratification. This tendency to use food as an emotional outlet contributes to the person losing the ability to recognize their emotions and regulate them with more functional strategies.
- Self-annihilation. Ignoring personal needs. As people with binge eating disorder become accustomed to suppressing their genuine desires and satisfying their emotional needs through food, they experience a process of self-annihilation in which their true needs are relegated . Over time, this suppression of authentic desires can lead to a loss of authenticity, in which the person feels increasingly disconnected from themselves and their identity. Food comes to occupy the center of their emotional life, but without fulfilling the deep satisfaction they truly need, which can exacerbate feelings of frustration, dissatisfaction, and emptiness.
- Distortion of food-related desires. Misperception of one's own food cravings. For people with binge eating disorder, the relationship with food is often tinged with guilt, shame, and restrictions . This mindset can distort food-related desires, causing certain foods, especially those considered "forbidden" or "unhealthy," to become objects of compulsive craving. This rigid approach to food generates an "all or nothing" mentality, in which the person may have intense cravings to consume large quantities of certain foods, while feeling unable to enjoy them in a balanced way. The difficulty in recognizing and satisfying their true food cravings creates a cycle in which food becomes both forbidden and highly desirable, contributing to impulsive binge-eating episodes.
Emotional self-regulation in eating disorders
Self-stigma: shame and guilt
Self-stigma refers to the internalization of societal prejudices and negative attitudes toward one's own eating disorder, leading to negative self-esteem and feelings of shame and guilt . This process not only exacerbates the symptoms of binge eating disorder but also diminishes quality of life, reduces the ability to seek help, and hinders recovery. The causes and effects of self-stigma in binge eating disorder are as follows:
- Internalization of social stereotypes. Prejudices regarding body weight. People with binge eating disorder tend to internalize these stereotypes, as their disorder often involves episodes of excessive eating that can lead to weight gain. This can lead the person to perceive themselves as "weak" or "lacking willpower," which increases self-stigma.
- Shame and guilt stem from a perceived lack of self-control. Culture tends to glorify self-control, especially when it comes to food. Binge eating, characterized by a loss of control over food intake, is often interpreted by the person with binge eating disorder as a personal failing. By adopting this view, they convince themselves that they should be able to "overcome" their impulses, which reinforces their belief that their disorder is a sign of personal or moral inferiority.
People with binge eating disorder often avoid social events to avoid the shame and judgment of others. This isolation prevents them from getting the social support they need to cope with their disorder.
- Persistent guilt for using food as an emotional refuge. People with binge eating disorder turn to food as a way to soothe stress or intense emotions, which often provides temporary relief but also a cycle of guilt and self-judgment. The person feels they "shouldn't" rely on food to cope with their emotions, and when they do, they perceive themselves as weak or unable to regulate their emotions in a more "acceptable" way.
- Feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. As a person with binge eating disorder experiences repeated failures to control their binge eating episodes, their self-efficacy and, consequently, their self-esteem decrease. This perception perpetuates self-stigma, making the person feel worthless.
- Isolation due to fear of judgment. People with binge eating disorder often avoid social events or situations where food might be present to avoid exposure to shame and judgment. By self-stigmatizing, they believe that others will see them in the same negative light they see themselves. This isolation prevents them from having the social support they need to cope with their disorder, which increases feelings of loneliness and can worsen the symptoms of the disorder.
- Barriers to seeking help. Self-stigma leads people with binge eating disorder to believe their problem is not "worthy" of medical or psychological attention. They think that, since it's related to self-control and eating, they should be able to manage it on their own. This leads them to underestimate their disorder and minimize the severity of their binge eating episodes, thus delaying seeking treatment.
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