By GINGER PETERSON

Almost everyone over-eats from time to time. You may help yourself to an extra serving of food during Thanksgiving dinner, or consume a half pint of ice cream in front of the T.V. after a long week of work.

But for some, this turns in to an uncontrollable cycle where excess calories are consumed on a regular basis. The person develops an obsession with eating, and attempts to control their impulse to over-eat, but the obsession is so intense that the only way to ameliorate the psychological discomfort of obsessional thinking revolving around food is to engage in the behavior, and over-eat.

A person who displays these symptoms would probably be diagnosed by a clinician with binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is characterized by eating excessive amounts of food, eating until uncomfortably full, and eating in secrecy. It is an equal opportunity illness affecting approximately the same number of men as women, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health is estimated that 3% of the population is afflicted with this condition.

A multitude of physiological and psychological problems can potentially develop if the problem is left untreated including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, lethargy, depression, isolation, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts.

Studies have suggested that there are a number of reasons why a person may develop this disorder.

In many cases the disorder develops after a major diet. In a study conducted by researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, dieting was found to precede the development of binge eating in 70% percent of participants involved. A person will attempt to lose a desired amount of weight through caloric restriction. After completing the diet it is the person’s intention to resume normal eating however, they find this difficult because they have developed strong urges to over-eat. The end result is a cycle of compulsive over-eating and crash dieting.

A person struggling with this disorder may feel that it is simply a lack of will power, and that if only more effort were put in to trying harder they would be able to control their urges to over-eat. The underlying neurochemistry in the brain, however, makes it very difficult to control eating behavior.

Through therapy, the neurochemistry of the brain can be altered so that you can regain control over your life once again. If you feel you are no longer able to control the amounts of food that you are consuming, and it is beginning to have an impact on your life, help is available.

Ginger Peterson is a therapist working under the supervision of Dr. Jared Overton at Overton Psychological Services. She can be contacted at 702-412-5673 to schedule an appointment.