Weight gain
Weight gain is the main symptom of binge eating. Many people with the disorder are already overweight. If you are carrying too much weight you are vulnerable to other health problems that are associated with obesity. These include:
- high cholesterol – high levels of cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of heart disease and stroke
- high blood pressure (hypertension) – this also increases your risk of cardiovascular conditions such as stroke or heart disease
- diabetes – a chronic (long-term) condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood
- asthma – where the lung airways become inflamed
- osteoarthritis – a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints
- chronic back pain
- heart disease – where the heart’s blood supply is blocked by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries (the main blood vessels of the heart)
See the Health A-Z topic about Obesity for more information.
Other physical symptoms
In addition to the serious health conditions described above, binge eating can also have a number of other physical effects on the body as a result of fluctuating blood sugar levels. These include:
- sugar cravings
- stomach pains
- intolerance to heat and cold
- headache
Psychological effects
People who binge eat are unable to understand why they cannot control their body's sugar cravings and become trapped in a cycle of bingeing, guilt, restraint and bingeing.
They blame themselves for their weakness, which reduces their self-esteem even further. As a result, binge eating also causes the following psychological problems:
- depression – feelings of extreme sadness, despair or inadequacy that last for a long period of time
- anxiety – a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe
- lack of concentration
See Binge eating – Causes for more information about the role that depression, stress and anxiety play in binge eating.
