Compulsive overeating is an eating disorder than is characterized by a severe addiction to food. Just like with any other addiction, when you suffer from this disorder, you constantly crave for food even though you do not need to consume all that much.
Compulsive overeating is often confused with binge eating, which is a similar, but more serious eating disorder. Binge eating is also characterized by uncontrollable acts of overeating. However, the main difference is that binge eating carries with it a more emotional and psychological impact in comparison.
For example, if you suffer from compulsive overeating, you generally feel joyful after a meal. You feel that your craving is satisfied although you may have exaggerated the amount that you ate.
On the other hand, if you suffer from binge eating, you do not feel joyful after the meal but a sense of guilt, depression and disgust that you have not been able to control yourself with regards to the portions that you ate. You become overly concerned that your last meal just caused you a few extra pounds and that the extra weight is going to have a severe impact on your body shape. You start to imagine the worst in how you look.
As depression is largely absent in the case of compulsive eating, it is considered less dangerous than binge eating, since it has a reduced chance of turning into bulimia. However, compulsive eating can gradually turn into a binge eating disorder if you become affected emotionally and psychologically about your body shape and weight.
The causes for both forms of eating disorders are similar, however. Both are emotional or psychological in nature. Just like smoking, it is not the body that craves the cigarette, but the mind. You may use food as a self-medication to get over your daily problems and this habit quickly turns into an addiction that you cannot get rid of. Or it may be the case that you have been emotionally abused. Or that you have just undergone a bad breakup with your partner.
The fact that compulsive overeating can hardly be separated from binge eating at times makes it difficult for doctors to accurately diagnose your condition. For whatever it is, both conditions need to be treated as soon as the first signs appear. Your eating disorder can escalate to the more serious bulimia if you ignore getting treatment.
Sandra Kim Leong
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/what-is-compulsive-overeating-79243.html
Obesity is a primary concern in the USA today and round the globe. And especially as more people join the computer-using world, more people sit longer, are less active, eat more and lose / burn-off less. So it’s time for a time out and top tips for breaking the bad habit of overeating.
Take a Time-Out
Start with a checkup at your doctor’s office for advice and approval before beginning any form of new diet and / or exercise program. Next you need to do some homework and research diet and fitness program online or at your local library. Online you can start at eDiets.com, as seen on television. Some of their featured diet and fitness plans at this time are:
- The eDiets Plan
- Bob Greene Plan
- The Suzanne Somers, Lose weight and look great, plan.
- The G.I. Diet Plan, Lose weight, increase energy, boasted as being Europe’s hottest diet.
- The Atkins Approach, Get slim & healthy on the original carb-smart plan.
This company also offers fitness programs, recipes, helpful articles and ezines and a lot more. For more information, contact them offline and online at:
eDiets.com
1000 Corporate Drive
Suite 600
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334
Toll-Free Nutrition Support: (800) 265-6170
Nutrition Support Email: nutrition@ediets.com
Healthy Alternatives
Toss aside that bad habit and replace it with healthier ones like these:
Instead of overeating, work a part-time job or extra hours to earn money for your new diet and fitness fun and clothes.
Instead of overeating, over-read and learn how to cook healthy meals and how to build up your body.
Instead of overeating, have fun with friends or by yourself. Take a hike, ride a bike, go to a movie, volunteer, baby-sit for a friend in need, take a class and park far from the entrance for more exercise.
Instead of overeating, shop for healthy fresh fruits and vegetables plus low-fat or no-fat dips to go with them.
Instead of overeating, go out with a friend who is also in the process of trying to lose weight and stop overeating. Team up and help each other beat your bad habits!
Instead of overeating, plan your success path, how many pounds you’ll lose per week (2 is average) and how you’ll get there (exercising more, eating less) and log your meals, snacks, fitness activities each day. Plus fill in your thoughts, successes, failures.
Be your own best friend and finally take time to take care of yourself. Go for it!
James Penn
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/breaking-the-bad-habit-of-overeating-107591.html