Binge eating disorder

Abstract

Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by regular binge-eating episodes during which affected individuals ingest comparably large amounts of food and experience loss of control over their eating behavior. The current worldwide prevalence of BED is estimated to be at least 1.3%. BED is commonly associated with obesity and with somatic and mental health comorbidities. People suffering from BED experience considerable burden and impairments in quality of life, at the same time, BED often goes undetected and untreated. The aetiology of BED is complex, including genetic and environmental factors as well as neuroendocrinological and neurobiological contributions. Neurobiological findings highlight impairments in the domains of reward processing, inhibitory control and emotion regulation in people affected by BED, and these neurobiological domains are currently targets for emerging treatment approaches. Psychotherapy is currently the first-line treatment for people with BED. Recognition and research on BED has increased since its inclusion into DSM-5, however, continuing efforts are needed to understand underlying mechanisms of BED and to improve prevention and treatment outcomes for this disorder. These efforts should also include screening, identification, and implementation of evidence-based interventions in routine clinical practice settings like primary care and mental health outpatient clinics.