Men, too, struggle with binge eating

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Men, too, struggle with binge eating

Posted by: Colleen Stoxen Updated: August 13, 2012 - 4:38 PM

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The New York Times has written about the perils of binge eating among men, who are usually reluctant to seek treatment for a “women’s disease.” One of an estimated eight million men and women in the United States struggle with binge eating, defined as consuming large amounts of food within a two-hour period at least twice a week without purging, accompanied by a sense of being out of control.

About 10 percent of patients with anorexia and bulimia are men, but binge eating is almost equal among both sexes. A study published online in October and then in the March issue of The International Journal of Eating Disorders found that among 46,351 men and women ages 18 to 65, about 11 percent of women and 7.5 percent of men acknowledged some degree of binge eating.