In a sense, we are all addicted to food. Think about how you feel when you can't eat. You start craving food and become more and more physically and emotionally uncomfortable the longer the cravings last. At this point, eating becomes the most important thing for you. This is the constant experience of people struggling with food addiction. An abundance of food does nothing to change the appetite of an overeater. Food is essential for survival and, unlike other addictive behaviors, it is normal to eat repeatedly every day, and even to look forward to eating for pleasure. Several characteristics separate normal eating from food addiction or binge eating. When an addict's binge begins, they will experience a sense of pleasure and the food may seem intensely tasty, but soon after, they will experience a sense of disgust, shame, and even physical pain. Often, they take a bite of food, chew it several times, and swallow it without chewing it properly. Leaving food on the plate is very difficult. The remains haunt them during sleep. They have to get out of bed to eat. The addiction can become so intense that the overeater steals from friends, stores, and even eats discarded food. Food addiction is dysfunctional, even though people overeat to feel better, it often ends up making them worse. Food addiction can threaten health, causing obesity, malnutrition and mental health problems. People who overeat and have a food addiction eat too much food, often the wrong types of food, most of the time. Binge eaters overeat every day, and they eat, not because they are hungry, but as a primary way to cope with life's difficulties. Eating is a coping method. If they are unable to eat... middle of paper... really hungry, almost to the point of starvation. At this point, they will consume any and all edibles they can find. Followed by vomiting or use of laxatives, so as not to gain weight. After purging, the person with bulimia nervosa will feel guilt and shame, worrying about their mental and physical state. With a promise not to repeat these actions, they will increase their dietary restrictions. Due to purging, people with bulimia nervosa are usually not overweight or obese (Ogden). It's a very vicious circle. Before attempting to control weight, binge eating disorder diagnoses must first address the mental health issues that accompany the disorder (Kristeller and Wolever). Treatment will be very similar to treatment for alcoholism and narcotics. There is no cure for binge eating disorder. It's with you for life.