What role do emotions play in binge eating?

Emotions play a huge role in binge eating and there is often some kind of childhood trauma behind the behavior. In this Ask the Experts video, psychologist Brenda Wade, PhD, discusses how emotional situations or issues tend to trigger binge eating.

Transcript

00:00

Eating is one thing almost every child can do. So the pattern starts in childhood,

00:06

and then it just gets away from the adult and gets worse. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:23

Emotions play a huge role in binge eating. There's no such thing as getting to binge eating without some kind of trauma.

00:30

There's either teasing in childhood, there's a parent who's missing, there could be parents with addiction.

00:37

These are traumas for children. We actually have a word for them. They're called ACEs-- Adverse Childhood Experiences.

00:46

These ACEs aren't the kind you want to hold in your hand, either. They're really difficult for children. So the child starts looking for a way to feel better.

00:55

And children have limited options. Eating is one thing almost every child can do.

01:01

So the pattern starts in childhood. And then it just gets away from the adult and gets worse because of the anxiety, the guilt, and then

01:10

the shame of the eating. It becomes a vicious cycle. [AUDIO LOGO]