What is "binge eating disorder"

alt. (context medicine English) Recurrent binge eating, but without the purging associated with bulimia nervosa n. (context medicine English) Recurrent binge eating, but without the purging associated with bulimia nervosa

'Binge eating disorder (BED') is characterized by binge eating without subsequent purging episodes. The disorder was first described in 1959 by psychiatrist and researcher Albert Stunkard as " night eating syndrome" (NES). The term "binge eating" was coined to describe the same binging-type eating behavior but without the exclusive nocturnal component.

Binge eating is one of the most prevalent eating disorders among adults, though there tends to be less media coverage and research about the disorder in comparison to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Previously considered a topic for further research exploration, binge eating disorder was included in the eating disorders section of the DSM-5 in 2013.

BED is present in 0.8% of male U.S. adults and 1.6% of female U.S. adults in a given year.