“Does that count as a binge?” Understanding binge eating and emotional eating

Sometimes when people talk about binge eating, the conversation quickly turns to the amount of food.

Someone might say they “binged” a whole bag of chocolate, and others respond by saying that doesn’t really count. But binge eating isn’t always defined by how much food is eaten.

For many people, the defining feature is the experience of the moment. The sense of losing control, eating quickly or automatically. And often the disappointment or shame that follows afterwards.

Because of this, two people can eat the same amount of food and have completely different experiences. One person may simply enjoy it; another may feel trapped in a cycle they wish they could stop.

Binge eating and emotional eating

The terms binge eating and emotional eating are often used interchangeably, and they can overlap in many ways. Emotional eating usually refers to eating in response to feelings rather than physical hunger. Someone might eat when they feel stressed, lonely, bored or overwhelmed.

Binge eating often includes this emotional element but also involves a feeling that the eating has become difficult to stop once it begins.

In both cases, food can become a way of soothing emotional discomfort.

When binge eating becomes a clinical diagnosis

There is also a recognised mental health condition called Binge Eating Disorder (BED). This is a clinical diagnosis made by trained professionals when certain criteria are met over a period of time. These criteria usually include recurring binge episodes, a sense of loss of control, and significant distress about the behaviour.

Not everyone who struggles with binge eating or emotional eating will meet the diagnostic criteria for BED. But that does not mean their experience is unimportant or undeserving of support.

Moving away from comparison

One of the most unhelpful things people can do is compare their eating to someone else’s. What feels overwhelming or distressing to one person may not feel the same to another.

Instead of asking “Does this count as a real binge”? a more helpful question may be:

How did the moment feel for me?

Because healing begins rarely by measuring the amount of food. More often it begins with understanding the emotional experience underneath it.

And from that place, compassion and change become possible.

For more information please also see this post

Link to my self-help guide below: