Binge Eating Disorder — BED — is now recognised as the most common eating disorder in the UK and the US. It affects more people than anorexia and bulimia combined, and is grossly under-treated.
The clinical criteria
A binge episode involves both:
1. Eating, in a discrete period, an amount of food significantly larger than most people would consume
2. A subjective sense of loss of control during the episode
A diagnosis of BED requires recurrent binges (at least once a week for three months) accompanied by significant distress, and without the regular compensatory behaviours seen in bulimia (vomiting, laxatives, fasting).
Common features
Why willpower fails
BED is not a willpower problem. It is an emotional regulation problem. Binges almost always serve a purpose — soothing anxiety, numbing distress, providing a sense of control or comfort that the rest of life is failing to offer.
You cannot "willpower" your way out of an emotional regulation strategy without first replacing what it provides.
Why dieting often makes it worse
Restriction-binge cycles are well documented. Periods of restrictive eating (deliberate or stress-induced) reliably increase binge frequency and intensity. Many BED sufferers have a history of repeated dieting attempts.
The recovery path
BED recovery requires three things working together:
1. Specialist eating-disorder support (CBT-E, BEAT charity resources, NHS ED services)
2. Anxiety recovery work that addresses the underlying emotional dysregulation
3. Time and self-compassion
LAR Coaching contributes the second component — the structured anxiety-recovery work that is so often missing from standard BED treatment. Used alongside specialist ED care, our clients consistently report that the binges weaken first in intensity, then in frequency, before fading altogether.
The next step
If any of this resonates, book a free 30-minute Recovery Call with one of our LAR Coaches. No pressure, no obligation — just a real conversation about what is happening to you and whether the LAR programme is the right fit. Sessions are delivered worldwide via Zoom, Phone or FaceTime.