How to Handle Fast Food and Binge Eating Disorder

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Director of Content and Social Media at Eating Disorder Hope

Our culture is one that lives on polar extremes of any given situation or topic. Whether it’s politics, media, education, religion, etc, it is easy to view things in a black and white perspective. This is perhaps seen most commonly when it comes to food.

We see this in television and magazine advertisements and hear it in everyday discussion: Good foods, bad foods.

With an anti-obesity scare ringing through the nation, there is almost a sense of chaos when it comes to food and how we should be eating, with new diet fads appearing more rapidly than ever. The result of this culture makes things even more complicated for an individual who may be struggling with binge eating disorder.

Behaviors of Binge Eating

Binge eating disorder is the most commonly experienced eating disorder in the United States with .8% of adult males and 1.6% of adult females presenting with this psychiatric illness in a given year [1].

Common behaviors associated with binge eating disorder include eating beyond a point of fullness, eating large quantities of food, even when not feeling physically hungry, eating much more rapidly than normal, and experiencing feelings of disgust, embarrassment, and guilt after eating.

Many individuals who struggle with binge eating disorder may gravitate toward binging on foods that are higher in carbohydrates and fats, as these nutrients tend to trigger the release of neurochemicals in the brain. Binging on fast food may occur regularly, as these foods are often accessible to purchase, relatively inexpensive, and can be purchased in large quantities.

Learning to Neutralize Binge Foods

Whether fast food or any other foods, neutralize foods that were previously “binged” on is an important aspect of eating disorder recovery. As long as a food is labeled “bad” or only eaten if going to binge, it continues to give the food power over the individual. If fast food was something that was binged on as part of the eating disorder, there must be a conscious effort to neutralize the food.

This is done by learning to eat the food in a normalized context. For example, during a binge episode, fast food may have been purchased and eaten isolated in a car, or a person may have gone through several fast food restaurants during one binge episode. In recovery, abstaining from binge foods is not part of the process. It is possible to learn how to eat the food in a different context: such as sitting down with family members, applying mindful eating skills, etc.

There may be several triggers that result from eating foods that were previously binged on, and it is important to be aware of these and work through them. Enlisting the support of a registered dietitian and therapist can be an invaluable part of the recovery process and in renegotiating binge foods.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

What are ways to neutralize foods in eating disorder recovery?

References:
[1]: Saguy, Abigail; Gruys, Kiersten. “Morality and Health: News Media Constructions of Overweight and Eating Disorders” (PDF). UCLA.

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating.

Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on September 18, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com