Is binge eating disorder different from bulimia?

Yes, Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a different eating disorder. The main symptom that distinguishes BED from Bulimia Nervosa is purging. Binge eating disorder does not have compensation behaviors. Below are the diagnostic criteria for both eating disorders:

Binge Eating Disorder is defined as uncontrolled binge eating without emesis or laxative abuse. It is often, but not always, associated with obesity symptoms. Night eating syndrome includes morning anorexia, increased appetite in the evening, and insomnia. These patients can have complete or partial amnesia for eating during the night.

Bulimia Nervosa

Recurrent episodes of binge eating characterized by both:

• Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances.
• A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode, (such as a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating). Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain, such as self- induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behavior both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months.

* The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of Anorexia Nervosa.

Type

Purging Type: During the current episode of Bulimia Nervosa, the person has regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Nonpurging Type: During the current episode of Bulimia Nervosa, the person has used other inappropriate compensatory behavior but has not regularly engaged in self- induced vomiting or misused laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.