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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffBinge-eating disorder isn't yet officially classified as a mental disorder, and not all experts agree on whether or not it should be. Binge eating is similar to bulimia nervosa, another eating disorder, and some experts think it may be a form of bulimia. But unlike people with bulimia who try to rid themselves of the extra calories after a binge through vomiting, exercise or other means, people with binge-eating disorder don't attempt to purge themselves of the extra calories they consume. That's why many people with binge-eating disorder are overweight.
In any case, when doctors suspect someone has an eating disorder, they typically run a number of tests including:
- A physical exam
- Blood and urine tests
- A psychological evaluation, including discussion of your eating habits
Your doctor may want you to undergo other tests to check for health consequences of binge-eating disorder, such as heart problems or gallbladder disease.
Criteria for diagnosis
All these evaluations help doctors determine if you meet the criteria for binge-eating disorder or if you may have another eating disorder, such as bulimia. The criteria to diagnose mental health conditions are set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association.
DSM diagnostic criteria for binge-eating disorder include:
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating, including eating an abnormally large amount of food and feeling a lack of control over eating
- Binge eating that's associated with at least three of these factors: eating rapidly; eating until you're uncomfortably full; eating large amounts when you're not hungry; eating alone out of embarrassment; or feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty after eating
- Concern about your binge eating
- Binge eating occurs at least twice a week for at least six months
- Binge eating isn't associated with inappropriate methods to compensate for overeating, such as self-induced vomiting
- Treasure J, et al. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2009. In press. Accessed Dec. 11, 2009.
- Binge eating disorder. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm. Accessed Dec. 10, 2009.
- Proposed disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. http://psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=5458. Accessed Dec. 11, 2009.
- Bulik CM, et al. Diagnosis and management of binge eating disorder. World Psychiatry. 2007;6:142.
- Yager J. Binge eating disorder: The search for better treatments. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2008;165:1.
- Forman SF. Eating disorders: Treatment and outcome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 2, 2009.
- Williams PM, et al. Treating eating disorders in primary care. American Family Physician. 2008;77:187.
- Gwirtsman HE, et al. Eating disorders. In: Ebert MH, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Psychiatry. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Co.; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3288493. Accessed Nov. 1, 2009.
- Douglass L. Yoga as an intervention in the treatment of eating disorders: Does it help? Eating Disorders. 2009;17:126.
- Meridia (sibutramine): Market withdrawal due to risk of serious cardiovascular events. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm228830.htm. Accessed Oct. 8, 2010.
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