BINGING: ABOUT CLOSET EATING

BINGING: ABOUT CLOSET EATING





Closet eating, a type of binging, occurs when a person is alone. Learn the signs of this mostly emotional behavior and techniques for stopping it.

Closet eating is an abnormal eating behavior in which a person binges on food when alone. Closet eaters usually eat normal meals in front of other people. But when alone, the binging begins. A closet eater sneaks foods and hordes goodies in a bedroom, car, or other secret place. Often, closet eaters binge on high-calorie comfort food or sugary sweets.

Health professionals have only recently recognized closet eating as a disorder. Closet eating is a subset of binge eating, which is a newly recognized eating disorder itself.

People with binge eating disorders eat larger than normal amounts of food, feel a loss of control over eating, and don't purge the food. This is also true of closet eaters, but closet eaters only binge when alone. They often feel ashamed or embarrassed to overeat in front of other people, so their binging is very secretive.

Exact numbers on how many people have this disorder are unknown, but a recent study reported that eating disorders other than anorexia along with abnormal attitudes about food affect 10 to 15 percent of women. In that study of 1,500 women, 13.7 percent admitted to binging one to seven times per month.

Closet Eating Causes

People with this type of eating disorder use food to cope with their emotions. This is true of most binge eating patterns. In fact, about 75 percent of eating disorders are caused by emotions. In the case of closet eating, the emotional eating may be due to past memories related to eating and weight, such as a critical parent who ridiculed a girl's body or reprimanded her for what she ate. The result may be shame about eating in public and eating to excess to drown out the negative emotions. Additionally, an underlying psychological disorder, such as depression, may be contributing to the closet eating.

Closet Eating Symptoms

This type of emotional eating is easy to recognize. Besides binging when alone, other common symptoms of closet eating are:

· Feeling shame and embarrassment about eating in public

· Binging on comfort foods, junk foods, and sweets when alone

· Hoarding food and hiding empty food containers

· Eating a large amount of food in one sitting

· Feeling powerless to stop eating

· Binging but not purging

Closet Eating's Health Consequences

Because people with this problem typically don't purge by vomiting, they gain weight from this form of emotional eating. Closet eaters are usually obese or overweight. This form of emotional eating can also cause shame, guilt, and severe depression, especially if weight loss is a goal. Plus, it sets up an unhealthy cycle. After a bout of closet eating, the negative emotions return, and the closet eater may also have guilt about the setback to weight loss. This can lead to more depression, resulting in more closet eating.

Closing the Door on Emotional Eating

Because emotions usually cause closet eating, seeing a therapist who specializes in binge eating can help. A therapist can help you recognize past events and emotions that may be triggering your binging and show you new coping skills.

Finding ways to eat healthfully is also important. Try the following tips to help close the door on closet eating:

· Eat often. Eat healthfully every four hours to control hunger. Eating small, frequent meals can help prevent binges by steadying blood sugar levels.

· Suppress stress. If you often turn to closet eating when faced with stressful situations, try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, guided imagery, and tai chi.

· Allow treats. If weight loss is a goal, you may have placed all sweets off limits, and that can be a mistake. When a food is forbidden, you give it more power. Reserve 10 percent of your caloric intake for treats. Then gradually taper off. When you cut back on sweets, you'll eventually stop craving them.

· Get enough sleep. Studies show that sleep deprivation can sabotage weight-loss efforts. One study reported that sleeping six or less hours on a regular basis was linked to an increased risk of obesity. Sleep problems don't directly cause closet eating, but they can exacerbate this eating disorder. If you're tired, you may retreat to your bedroom or car for binging to try to give yourself an energy boost.

· Do a busy-hands activity. When a closet eating urge strikes, keep your hands busy. Try knitting, crossword puzzles, reorganizing your sock drawer, or playing with your pet. It's tough to binge when your hands are otherwise occupied. By the time you finish the activity, the urge may have passed.

· Exercise. Working out is a form of distraction that can do double duty. Exercise has been shown to reduce hunger urges and ease depression at the same time. Simply taking a 20-minute walk will often do the trick.

· Avoid being alone. For some people, this can be a trigger for closet eating. Make an effort to socialize and make new friends. Joining a group of people interested in activities you like — movies, books, traveling — can be an easy way to meet other people.

If you have a bout of closet eating despite your best efforts, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Analyze why it happened, try to learn from your binge, and make a plan to prevent a future relapse. Focus on making small, positive changes and taking baby steps toward your ultimate goal: a normal eating pattern leading to a long, healthy life. Ask for help if you need it — working with a therapist may be the key to overcoming closet eating.