Why can't I stop bingeing?
When used as a clinical term, binge eating refers to a diagnosed eating disorder.
However, the term ‘bingeing’ has become overused and generic and applied to any form of overeating.
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Relief eating, by contrast, is a semi-automatic response driven by the need to restore balance in the Eating System. It’s about eating until a sense of relief is reached.
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The generic use of ‘bingeing’ narrows the focus to just the eating component. Where relief eating has three stages:
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Hungering – The system signals imbalance, creating an urge to eat.
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Eating – Food is consumed almost automatically, until a level is reached.
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Resolution – Balance is restored, bringing a sense of relief.
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When relief eating is part of your life, understanding what’s triggering the imbalance is the first step toward making different choices.
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If you'd like free support to understand if you are Relief Eating rather than Bingeing, sign up for our Learning Lab and download the Guide.