Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common type of eating disorder.  Binge eating is a severe, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterward; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating. It is the most common eating disorder in the United States.

The health risks of Binge Eating Disorder (BED) include high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, musculoskeletal problems along with emotional issues, weight stigma, and weight cycling (aka, yo-yo dieting). Most people who are labeled clinically “obese” do not have a binge eating disorder. However, of individuals with BED, up to two-thirds are labeled clinically “obese”. People who struggle with binge eating disorder tend to be of normal or higher-than-average weight, though BED can be diagnosed at any weight.