BINGE EATING
Designing a treatment
for a growing disorder

By Greg Harris

University of Calgary doctoral candidate is testing an intervention program commonly used in addictions counselling to see if it can be applied to a harmful and poorly understood eating disorder.
Binge eating is more prevalent than anorexia or bulimia and affects about two per cent of the population. Those in its grip suffer from depression, shame and low self-esteem, and may be shortening their lifespans due to obesity, diabetes and elevated blood pressure and cholesterol.

“ There are very few resources out there right now for people who experience binge eating,” says Stephanie Cassin, who has one year left in her psychology PhD.

“ Binge eaters usually aren’t given priority in treatment settings because they aren’t at the same immediate risk as people with anorexia or bulimia. Any tools we can give them to use on their own would be quite helpful. ”

Unlike simple overeating, binge eaters often experience a loss of control over their eating. They consume a large amount of food in a short period, often alone, and often more quickly than normal. Some sufferers describe having an out-of-body experience while over-indulging. “People know that binge eating is not good for them and it’s going to increase their weight and cause other medical problems, but they’re at a loss as to how to make changes in their lives,” Cassin says.

The treatment program she’s currently evaluating has been successfully applied to a number of addictive behaviours, including smoking, drinking, drug use and gambling. Binge eating is similar to those addictions in that people experience a loss of control and continue to engage in a behaviour they know is harmful.

Nancy Anderson Dolan, a former binge eater who now counsels others with eating disorders through her practice, Wiseheart Wellness Services, knows firsthand the struggles people face when they try to change behaviours.

“ For a long time I just thought, ‘This is the way I am,’” says Anderson, who began hoarding food at the age of two.

“ Then I came to understand, through an addictions model, that I have an abnormal body that is biologically different in how it responds to food.” Dolan developed high blood pressure and at her heaviest weighed 300 pounds before discovering there were some underlying issues that drove her eating. At the same time, she says there are viable ways to address all facets of the problem. 

Cassin is looking for binge eaters to participate in her study, which involves a one- to two-hour interview at the University of Calgary Eating Behaviours Lab, and three brief follow-up phone calls over four months. Participants will receive a free handbook with tips to help stop binge eating, and will have their name entered into a draw for two gift certificates worth $150. She can be reached at 210-9438.