The Dieting and Binge Eating Cycle
Binge eating is complex. Said beautifully by Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn:
“there is a circular element to binge eating that can make today’s effect tomorrow’s cause”.
Recovery from binge eating and binge eating disorder is not as simple and straightforward as just stopping binge eating, and while there are many areas within binge eating where we see this circular cause and effect, to me, the most highlighted of that is dieting.
Did you know that most people who binge eat are also dieting?
Let that sink in for a moment because that goes against so many of our misconceptions societally about individuals who binge eat and is a really important key to overcoming binge eating.
Is dieting a cause or an effect of binge eating?
Here is where that circular element comes into play. Dieting can be both the cause OR the effect… or the cause AND the effect. Many individuals who binge eat, began by dieting. And many who overeat or binge eat, try to compensate by dieting, which leads them into the next episode of binge eating.
What is abundantly clear is that dieting and overcoming binge eating cannnot coexist. Let me be clear, because I get asked this all the time: if you want to overcome binge eating, and ensure that you don’t relapse back into a cycle of binge eating regardless of what eating disorder(s) you struggle with, you cannot go on a diet.
This remains true regardless of your body type. Individuals often think that if they perceive themselves to be overweight, or if they are not categorized as underweight, this does not apply to them, but it does. No matter your size and shape, what your doctor has told you about your weight, and what other comorbidities you may have, you cannot diet and recover from binge eating. AND dieting actually does not correlate to health or positive health outcomes- we can work on becoming more healthy and supporting our health outcomes without dieting.
Dieting and binge eating is cyclical in nature, and I think anyone I have ever known who has struggled with binge eating, myself included, is familiar with this cycle:
Dieting and restriction is one of the main physiological factors that makes people vulnerable to binge eating. (Note I said physiological, as with any eating disorder, there will be both physiological and psychological contributing factors). Because of this, it is imperative as part of any treatment plan, to reduce and ultimately eliminate all dieting and restrictive tendencies. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: restriction always leads to a binge.
Types of dieting:
As moving away from dieting and food restriction is the goal when wanting to overcome binge eating, and of utmost importance, I wanted to breakdown the various kinds of dieting individuals may engage in so that we are clear on what we need to be shifting away from with our food behaviors to stop the dieting and binge eating cycle.
Strict Food Avoidance:
If someone is engaging in full food avoidance, they will typically eat little to no food outside of their binges. This is more commonly seen in individuals with bulimia and binge-purge type anorexia, and less commonly seen in those with binge eating disorder.
Caloric Restriction:
Individuals engaging in caloric restriction as a form of dieting aim to keep their food intake below a target calorie limit. The amount of calories chosen is almost always below what is actually needed to function optimally and be well.
And as an on the side, did you know that the FDA allows a 20% margin of error when it comes to listing calories on nutrition labels? This means that nutrition labels can be inaccurate by up to 20%.
Specific Food Avoidance:
Many who diet and restrict their food, will have a list of “no” foods, “fear” foods, or off limit foods for a variety of reasons. Some avoid foods they fear are not “clean” like in the case of those with orthorexia. Some are fearful and avoidand of certain macronutrients, like fats or carbohydrates. Some avoid foods with more than a certain number of ingredients. Some avoid foods above a certain amount of grams of sugar. And some will put labels on themselves, like dairy free or grain free, etc. There are a wide range of food avoidances for an even wider range of reasons, and all of which fall into the category of dieting by means of food avoidance. What is interesting is that many (if not all) individuals I work with in eating disorder recovery are significantly more likely to binge on the foods they restrict and avoid than the foods they allow.
The psychological effects of dieting:
Preoccupation with food:
I have two children. We had a special dinner planned for Friday night, and so when I grocery shopped on Thursday, I grabbed some ice cream so we could have it for dessert on Friday. Once they knew they could not have the ice cream until the next day, they became FIXATED on it. It seemed like all they could think about was the ice cream even though before I purchased it they had not a thought in the world about it
Sound familiar?
Anyone I know who has ever tried dieting (spoiler alert: that is likely everyone) will recognize this sensation of increased thoughts around food (what I like to call “food noise”) when avoiding and restricting certain foods or amounts of food (dieting of any form).
When engaging in food restriction (pertaining to both quantity and variety), there is an increased preoccupation with food, and that can and does seep into all areas of life. A great example of this, is something that often comes up with the youth we see in our eating disorder recovery program who are in school. Many youth who struggle with an eating disorder, also have a very hard time with their focus, so much with this that they feel they need to be tested for ADD/ADHD. Inadequate calories (which impairs cognitive functioning) paired with an increased preoccupation around food makes their focus in school a significant challenge for them while struggling with an eating disorder (learn more about the connection between ADD/ADHD and eating disorders here).
For others, this preoccupation with food (an increase of food noise) when dieting and restricting food can and does impair on their ability to stay present with their partner, fully engage in social activities and conversations, be involved and fully present with their children, and can affect their work quality and performance.
Perceived failure:
There is another psychological effect of dieting that is important to mention here, and that is the perceived failure the person dieting and restricting feels when they do not meet the strict and rigid food goals that they set out for themselves. This feeling of having “ruined it” is often a trigger point for binge eating, which triggers the next round of dieting and restriction. This is also known as “all or nothing”.
Beyond dieting, there is of course many causes and effects of binge eating. There is no singular cause and effect when it comes to eating disorders and disordered eating patterns, and they are as nuanced and varied as we are individual. That said, this artice felt important to write, as I cannot tell you how many individuals I have seen over my years in practice who have worked so hard to overcome binge eating, only to find themselves falling back into dieting, which as you now know, cycles us back into binge eating. It is a contributing factor for binge eating and a common cause of relapse…as well as being something we are bombarded with daily online, in the news and on social media.
If you are struggling with binge eating, restricting or any other form of disordered eating, reach out. We offter free calls and are always happy to connect, learn more about what you or a loved one is experiencing, and guide you towards what programs and services are the best fit for you.
