Binge Eating & Compulsive Shopping: What Are the Links?

On the surface, it may seem that binge eating disorder (BED) and compulsive buying disorder (CBD) have little in common. But the two conditions are more closely related than many people think.

Both binge eating and compulsive shopping are tied to struggles with impulsivity and self-control.¹ And the conditions are frequently co-occurring, meaning someone exhibits both behaviors simultaneously.

It may even be possible that one of these behaviors could trigger the other, or make the other worse. That’s why it’s critical to understand the many different ways these two conditions impact each other and the relationship between them.

Why Do Binge Eating & Compulsive Shopping Co-Occur?

Researchers found connections between binge eating and binge shopping in the 1990s. Since that time, studies have suggested that people who express both conditions may experience deeper psychological distress than someone who only shows signs of one.¹

In 1995, researchers found that women with binge eating disorder were significantly more likely to buy compulsively, when compared to people who didn’t binge on food.² In addition, a 2021 study found additional connections between the two conditions, including:³

• Impaired decision-making: This trait had the unfortunate effect of impacting someone’s success rate with therapy.
• Inflexibility: People with both conditions had a harder time changing their thoughts or behaviors.
• Novelty seeking: This group was interested in new and unusual things, which affected how quickly they could improve.

While these traits can appear in anyone, the combination was especially common among people with co-occurring binge eating disorder and compulsive buying disorder, leading researchers to believe they could play a role in sustaining the conditions. 

Understanding the Role of Impulsivity

Among the shared traits of BED and CBD, impulsivity may play the biggest part in upholding the disorders. This trait describes the tendency to act without thinking, which, in many ways, forms the foundation of compulsive actions.

Researchers say this trait is closely tied to a number of eating disorders, but especially those that appear on the bulimic spectrum.⁴ Due to their shared aspect of bingeing, BED and bulimia nervosa are both considered part of this group.

Impulsivity may contribute to the “trance-like” state some people say they feel while binging. It overrides messages from the brain, allowing the body to simply take over through continuous eating.⁵

More than 95% of people with compulsive shopping behavior have described their purchasing habits in a similar way.⁶ They don’t consider whether they need what they buy, and they don’t think about whether they can afford it. They simply succumb to the urge to buy the items.

Impulsivity likely plays the central role in the development and maintenance of both disorders, whether it’s expressed as trouble with eating, shopping, or both. 

Other Connections Between Binge Eating Disorder and Compulsive Shopping

Aside from the many co-occurring psychological traits, there may be additional reasons for the frequent overlap of compulsive shopping and binge eating disorder. 

Weight Changes

Binge eating disorder is characterized by weight cycling.⁷ People often gain weight when they experience frequent bingeing episodes, and they may lose weight in periods where they exhibit greater control over the behavior. 

Each weight change could merit shopping for new clothes. 

These trips can be a necessary response to weight cycling, but they risk triggering more compulsive shopping behavior. 

Self-Soothing

One of the biggest markers of binge eating disorder is mental distress. 

People who engage in this type of behavior often experience guilt and shame over their actions, along with the low self-esteem and negative body image that contribute to the behaviors in the first place.⁸

For some, shopping may offer an escape. 

Looking for items to buy online can help distract people from these unhappy and uncomfortable feelings. Still, there’s a thin line between healthy distraction and the transferring of compulsive behaviors from one action to another.

Medication Issues

Some pharmaceutical therapies, including dopamine agonists, have been found to increase someone’s impulsivity. Taking these medications can lead to binge eating and compulsive shopping.⁹

Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder and Compulsive Buying Disorder

Many people who experience binge eating and compulsive shopping report a sense of feeling out of control.³ They may desperately want to stop their habits, but simply not know how. 

But finding the right kind of treatment for BED or CBD can be crucial in helping people step away from these behaviors.

Therapists often focus on the thoughts that happen before, during, and after a compulsive episode. For example, patients who struggle with impulsivity might be encouraged to consider:

• What happened earlier that day
• What they thought about an hour before the bingeing episode
• What they thought about immediately before eating or shopping
• What they thought about during the episode
• How they felt right after the episode stopped

Patients are encouraged to reflect on these thoughts and feelings and to look for patterns that could reveal potential triggers. They may also learn how to tolerate and regulate negative emotions.¹⁰

Additional treatment strategies include creating regular eating patterns and learning self-control and problem-solving techniques.¹⁰

Techniques such as meditation or measured breathing are also often recommended to help people stop and think before making a decision, eating a snack, or making a purchase. 

And other types of treatment encourage people to challenge some of their negative thoughts, with questions like:

• Will this shopping make me happier?
• Will the snack make me forget the issues I faced today?
• Will I regret these actions later?

Changing the way someone thinks can help change the way they act and react. It can help someone avoid the next binge and, over time, better manage triggers. 

Therapy can take time and practice to be effective, but with hard work and support, it can help someone change their habits for the better and get on the road to recovery.