Pathological overeating--an overview]

An eating disorder apart from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is "binge eating disorder" (BED): eating in a short period of time a large quantity of food and a feeling of lack of control over food intake. There is also an atypical rest category, "eating disorders not otherwise specified" (EDNOS). Diagnostic criteria for BED and EDNOS are incomplete, particularly with respect to the definition of "bingeing" relative to bulimia nervosa. More restrictive criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa skew the diagnostic distribution towards BED and EDNOS, though the total prevalence of eating disorders remains unchanged. For BED and EDNOS taken together the lifetime prevalence in women is about 6%. The relationship between BED, EDNOS and overweight has mainly been overlooked; further investigations are needed. Lasting treatment effects have been found for overweight people with BED. Other eating disorders apart from anorexia nervosa and bulimia are prevalent and clinically important, and research has opened up a potential for effective treatment.