When parents hear the words “eating disorder,” they typically think of anorexia or bulimia and excessive thinness. With these complex emotional disorders, food and weight become a source of power for someone who feels out of control. But eating disorders occur in the overweight, too, when food becomes a panacea to soothe anxiety and emotional distress. In these cases, your child needs professional counseling to uncover the root of the problem and learn healthier ways of dealing with it.

Binge-Eating Disorder

People with binge-eating disorder, or BED, eat excessive amounts of food in short periods of time (binges). Unlike bulimia, which is also characterized by binges, those with BED don't purge, or vomit, afterward. Thus, most people with BED are overweight or obese. Excessive stress or emotional upheaval are often triggers for binges.

A binge is characterized by uncontrolled eating, and a child with BED will eat past any hunger to the point of discomfort. During the binge, there is a feeling of complete powerlessness to stop eating. Usually the bingeing is secretive, and parents may be completely unaware of what is going on for some time.

BED is most common in adolescents and young adults. It also occurs more frequently among those with a history of compulsive behaviors and those suffering from depression, personality disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Recognize the Symptoms

A deep sense of shame and guilt over the bingeing behavior is part of BED, so if your child is bingeing, he will likely do his best to hide it. Some warning signs that your child may be bingeing include the following:

• Unexplained disappearance of entire packages of food from the refrigerator or pantry

• Hidden food in your child's room

• Weight gain when your child eats very little at meals, or other unusual weight fluctuations

• Evidence of frequent late-night trips to the kitchen

• A tendency to gobble down food quickly

• Signs of emotional distress, such as excessive sadness, irritability, or anger

Getting Help

Many people with BED binge as a coping mechanism, in order to deal with stress. Effective treatment depends on the ability to develop healthier coping strategies. Individual psychotherapy or counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group therapy are several common treatment methods.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (or CBT) focuses on changing the thoughts and behaviors behind the bingeing rather than attempting to uncover the psychological roots of the problem. Distorted thinking patterns — “Bingeing will help me feel better” or “I'm worthless because I'm overweight” — are uncovered through exercises like journaling and role-playing, and the therapist and patient work together to build new and healthier thought patterns. CBT may be done individually or in a group setting. Group therapy can be helpful in providing additional social support for your child as she realizes she isn't alone.

If you suspect your child may have binge-eating disorder, talk to his pediatrician or health-care provider as soon as possible for a referral to a qualified mental health professional. When BED occurs in overweight children, getting a handle on their weight issue by normalizing their eating patterns is also an important part of treating the disorder. Your child's pediatrician and her mental health-care provider can work together with you and your child to develop an effective treatment program that addresses both the weight and the BED.