Needing to binge is usually the body's way of making up for running at an energy-deficit - making up for restricted eating, or for the body burning more energy to try to cope with an illness or injury - it's a way to get fuel and energy that we probably desperately need, and it's really tragic that it gets framed in this shaming way that fatphobic doctors and diet culture have caused by
exaggerating the health risks of being 'overweight.'
(To summarize what the author says better than I can - a lot of the "health risks" we see are often caused by doctors denying adequate care to heavier patients, and telling them to "just lose some weight!" instead of giving them the same quality treatment they'd give a thin patient.)
I have found a lot of really helpful guides and info at the
ED Institute... Good luck to you. <3
This is not always the case and in fact is a harmful excuse I and others with binge eating disorder often use to rationalise our poor choices. The reasons behind binges are as varied as the reasons behind self harm or substance use disorders - for instance: seeking stimulation, repressing emotions, avoiding stress or social situations, self sabotage, procrastinating on important responsibilities, feeling bored or alone, habit / conditioning, something unrelated going wrong earlier in the day, availability of hyperpalatable food (which has been engineered to be addictive - read about the fat-salt-sugar bliss point). These are only a few of the many excuses I have employed over the years to protect myself from facing the challenge of self improvement and building a life for which I actually want to stay.
Saying that it is a choice can be taken as shaming, when it ought to be taken as empowering. Although there may be factors beyond one's control that make eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight more difficult for one than the average person of their demographic - that does not mean they are doomed. Every time I eat something that will not nourish me, that is a choice I make. Every time I have the opportunity to drink water or exercise or step outdoors but don't take it, that is a choice I make. Every time I am full and continue eating, that is a choice I make. Yes, I feel out of control, but I have the ability to control myself. I just don't feel like doing it. I have overweight and obese relatives, and I also have healthy weight relatives.
Except in rare cases of genetic disorders or eating whilst unconscious - genetics or 'out of control' internal intrinsic chemical imbalance or whatever excuse is making more money for Big Pharma these days - are not the sole or main cause of one's eating disorder or weight. Environment, upbringing / intergenerational trauma of which one may not even be aware, stress levels, coping skills, social support network, and many more factors influence these. Many of these factors are changeable, although to some extent others are out of one's control.
It could also be a nutrient deficiency as opposed to an overall energy deficit. It is possible to be obese, binge eating daily, and still be malnourished. The solution is not to eat more but to eat the right foods. What those are depend on the individual and change over time likewise. I would highly advise working with a doctor and dietician to build a healthy meal plan that addresses any imbalances which may show up in test results.
You are not wrong in that slightly overweight individuals do fare better in long term health metrics. This does not take into account their lifestyle - are they getting adequate sleep, hydration, socialisation, exercise / movement, nutrients, sunlight? - nor their lean mass. One can be technically 'overweight' yet have low body fat percentage. Even with an average to slightly above average body fat percentage, the aforementioned factors must be taken into account when determining overall physical health - nor is this an exhaustive list, not to mention for mental health, as eating disorders are a mental health issue primarily. It's not about the food - in most cases, the food is just a vector for the psychological distress.
Fatphobia has legitimate concerns and certainly no one should be denied adequate medical treatment due to obesity - but buzzword overuse has unfortunately discredited anything fatphobia proposes due to the negative association. Thus my kneejerk 'you are wrong and here's why' dissertation in response. But the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as usual - it is more nuanced than our personally dearly held beliefs would prefer us to accept.
