According to a study in February, 2007, binge eating is the most common diet disorder in the US, much greater than more publicised problems like anorexia and bulimia.
The study found that some 5.9 million adults (3.5% of women and 2% of men) suffer from binge eating, which is described as bouts of uncontrolled eating, well past the point of being full, that occur at least twice a week. A binge eater might, for instance, eat a full dinner, followed by more than a pint of ice cream and then a bag of chips without being able to stop.
As expected, binge eating has been linked to obesity.
The researchers blamed a combination of the "cultural barrage" of images of stick-thin stars, ubiquitous fast-food advertising and genetic factors.
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