Overeating vs. Binge Eating: Understanding the Differences
We’ve all been there—settling in for a cozy night with our favorite TV show, reaching for a snack, and before we know it, the entire bag of chips is gone. Or maybe we indulge in a little too much at a holiday meal, leaving us feeling overly stuffed but satisfied. These are common experiences and fall under the category of overeating—something most of us do from time to time. But when does overeating cross the line into binge eating? For some, eating large amounts of food isn’t just an occasional slip but a distressing and repeated behavior tied to emotional struggles. Binge eating disorder (BED) is a serious condition that affects millions of people and goes beyond simply eating too much. To binge eat is to experience a loss of control over eating large quantities of food, often followed by significant distress and emotional turmoil. At the Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR), we specialize in helping individuals better understand their eating behaviors and develop healthier relationships with food. In this post, we’ll…