If your child exhibits compulsive behaviors and consumes large quantities of food at a single sitting, he may have an eating disorder that requires intervention by a child psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist. Binge-eating disorder (BED) is most common in overweight kids and adults, although people of a “normal” BMI can also develop the condition. It most frequently strikes in adolescence and early adulthood. BED is also closely associated with depression.

Potential signs your child may be bingeing include the following:

• Frequent and unaccountable disappearance of bags or packages of food

• Signs of depression

• Insistence that the child be left to eat alone

• Apparent remorse, guilt, or embarrassment related to eating behaviors

• Unexplained weight gain

For a child with BED or any other eating disorder, trying to lose weight without first addressing the underlying causes of the problem is a losing game. If you suspect your child is binge eating, take him to a qualified mental health-care professional with experience in treating eating disorders in children. Eating disorders are discussed in more depth in Chapters 12 and 18.