What exactly does it mean to "binge" eat?

Hi All,

I'm confused.  What is "binge eating". I hate to sound stupid, but I feel like I binge eat all of the time.  If I eat a cookie or some potatoe chips, Is that binge eating?  I feel like I'm binge eating if I eat bad one day, such as a piece of pizza, a burger, etc.  I do not eat until I can't eat any more. Is that binge eating? Is binge eating, eating until you are absolutely sick and you can not even fathum one more bite or is it eating badly one day or a single meal. Everyone out there, I need you opinions.  What does binge eating mean to you????

i suggest you do a search on this site for "binge eating".

A clinical binge is:

However, I believe that if only the latter qualification is met, this is still a very problematic behavior, although it is not a clinical binge.

From Wikipedia:

• Periodically does not exercise control over consumption of food
• Eats an unusually large amount of food at one time -- more than a normal person would eat in the same amount of time.
• Eats much more quickly during binge episodes than during normal eating episodes
• Eats until physically uncomfortable
• Eats large amounts of food even when they are not really hungry
• Usually eats alone during binge eating episodes, in order to avoid discovery of the disorder
• Often eats alone during periods of normal eating, owing to feelings of embarrassment about food
• Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty after binge eating

If you eat 'badly' one day, it does not mean that you are binging.

Thanks for your responses.  I understand that there is a definition to the word, but I think that everyone might have there own definition.  Binge eating is referred to alot on this site and I was mainly wondering if we are just cheating on our diet or are we eating as if we will not ever eat again...

Depends on who's talking.  There are plenty of people on this site who have recovered/are recovering/still suffering from eating disorders, including binging disorders.  Many of them may well be talking about clinical binges.  Others probably are using it more loosely as a term for eating more than they normally would.

emily's definition is the DSM definition.  it's clinically difinitive. 

There are lots of people on this site who freak out about their "binge" of two cookies, or a piece of cake, or heaven forbid - a hamburger. But it's really just over-eating or making less than ideal food decisions, not a binge.

Emily's definition is binge eating in a nutshell, there really are no other definitions. A binge is not a name meant to be placed onto whatever one feels it should be.

i would say its a binge if its more than 2000 calories in one go. its not necessarily like that, but thats how i categorize it for myslelf.

For me, binging refers to control issues.  For instance, if I'm at my calorie limit and I decide to eat a piece of cake.  That's overeating.  Binging is when I decide to eat the cake, decide I've blown the entire day, and drown myself in more and more food.  Usually, physical discomfort is involved.

I did/do have an eating disorder and it does bother me when people refer to overeating as binging.  Binging is a much bigger issue.

I would consider binge eating to be when you eat abnormal amounts of food that last for more then 2 hours in one sitting. It can go on for days and months. Each time you are in psychical pain from force fully eating too much. Then afterwards you are left with guilt that you didn't think about until after you have finished eating. It's as someone said a control issue thing.

Overeating maybe be a one day thing that certainly doesn't last for days or even hours you just pig out a little more.

Binging is on a more emotional level and a higher extreme.

A binge is different for everyone. A binge to an anorexic person might be putting dressing on their salad.

A binge to me is that itch you get and you HAVE to scratch it. That pull you get when you have to hunt the cabinets. The amount of food you consume in whatever amount of time to "scratch" that itch, is to each their own.