Compulsive overeating, which is also known as compulsive eating, is defined as the presence of specific behaviors that include an individual consuming vast amounts of food in order to cope with the problems or emotions that burden them.

Understanding Compulsive Overeating

Learn about compulsive overeating

Different than bulimia nervosa, those who engage in compulsive overeating do not follow up their eating with purging behaviors, causing them to feel as though they are not actually struggling with an eating disorder. When an individual causes herself to vomit after eating, she can generally recognize that such a behavior can damage her health, and the compulsive need to keep doing so can lead to both physical and psychological harm.

Compulsive overeating is typically confused with binge-eating. However, those who are grappling with binge-eating disorder will continue to consume a great deal of food in one sitting, while those who eat compulsively might not overeat at each meal. However, because of the consistency in which individuals are overeating, even small portions can lead to overeating.

While the presence of compulsive eating can damage one’s life, there is treatment that can help those who struggle with the debilitating symptoms so that they can learn how to obtain healthy eating habits and develop positive self-worth.

Statistics

Compulsive overeating statistics

Statistics for compulsive overeating are lacking, but rough estimates show that nearly 2% of the population is afflicted with compulsive overeating behaviors, while 8% of the population that are obese engage in compulsive overeating.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes and risk factors for compulsive overeating

The causes and risk factors for developing compulsive overeating behaviors have been linked to those that overuse drugs and/or alcohol. Consider the following:

Genetic: Genetic factors, such as those with biological family members who have compulsive overeating behaviors, are at a greater risk for partaking in similar behaviors than those who do not have that same background.

Environmental: There are many environmental factors that can impact one’s likelihood of developing a compulsive overeating problem. For example, going through a traumatic event, being the victim of abuse or neglect, or being in an environment where a substantial amount of attention is put on dieting, weight, and food can all increase one’s likelihood of developing compulsive overeating behaviors.

Risk Factors:

Family history of eating disorders or compulsive overeating behaviors
Personal history of mental illness
Family history of mental illness
Being the victim of abuse and/or neglect
Low self-esteem
Experiencing a traumatic event

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of compulsive overeating

Some of the many signs and symptoms that one might exhibit when partaking in compulsive overeating can include:

Behavioral symptoms:

No longer participating in activities one once enjoyed
Participating in unsuccessful dieting attempts
Eating alone
Eating uncontrollably, even when not hungry
Eating much more rapidly than is considered normal
Hiding food
Making self-defeating statements about how much food one eats
Social isolation

Physical symptoms:

High blood pressure
Fatigue
Fluctuations in weight
Weight gain
High cholesterol
Sleep apnea

Cognitive symptoms:

Preoccupation with body weight
Minimized or complete loss of sex drive
Preoccupation with food

Psychosocial symptoms:

Feelings of guilt and shame
Mood swings
Depression
Feeling disgusted with oneself

Effects

Effects of compulsive overeating

If left untreated, the long-term effects of compulsive overeating can be damaging to all areas of one’s physical and psychological health. Some of these effects can include:

Arthritis
Bone deterioration
Heart disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Excessive anxiety
Kidney disease
Sleep apnea
Stroke

Co-Occurring Disorders

Compulsive overeating and co-occurring disorders

While compulsive overeating is not a diagnosable disorder, the behaviors and patterns that develop when someone is battling with this condition can often present with other mental health issues, including: