Diagnostic Criteria: DSM-IV
A. Recurrent episodes of
binge eating. An
episode is characterized by:
1. Eating a larger amount of
food than normal during a short period of time (within any two hour period)
2. Lack of
control over eating during the binge episode (i.e. the feeling that one cannot stop eating).
B. Binge eating episodes are associated with three or more of the following:
1. Eating until feeling uncomfortably
full
2. Eating large amounts of food when not physically
hungry
3. Eating much more
rapidly than
normal
4. Eating
alone because you are
embarrassed by how much you're eating
5. Feeling
disgusted,
depressed, or
guilty after overeating
C. Marked
distress regarding binge eating is present
D. Binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for six months
E. The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of
inappropriate compensatory behavior (i.e. purging, excessive exercise, etc.) and does not occur
exclusively during the course of
bulimia nervosa or
anorexia nervosa.
From the
DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
Risks of binge eating disorder