COVER STORY

associated with this type of eating disorder include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and osteoarthritis (due to wearing down of the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones at the joints).

Despite all this, binge eating is still considered the “hidden” eating disorder.

Without the extreme weight loss or purging behaviours that can accompany other eating disorders, binge eating is less recognisable.

Bingeing may even be dismissed as just an occasional over-indulgence. Media portrayals of eating disorders perpetuate this idea, often focusing on anorexia.

The stigma and shame surrounding binge eating behaviours are significant and may prevent people from accessing help and treatments that could combat the disorder. Fewer than half of those who experience binge eating will seek and receive treatment.

Patients will often not disclose their binge eating symptoms to their doctor, meaning treatments often focus on weight