BED is a major eating disorder where a person frequently consumes abnormally big portions of food which leads to them eating uncontrollably. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for BED: is the reoccurrence of binge eating that must occur, on average at least once a week over a time period of 3 months (American Psychiatry Association, 203:350-35). An episode of binge eating is defined as eating, in a discrete time period, an amount of food that is definitely larger than the average person would consume in a similar lapse of time under similar conditions (American Psychiatry Association, 203:350-35). Binge eating is associated with an increase in distress and must include at least 3 of the following characteristics: eating much faster than normal; overeating until one feels uncomfortably full/bloated; overeating without the physical need to eat (hunger is not evident); eating by oneself due to the fear of embarrassment because of the amount of food one consumes
in a single time period; the feeling of disgust with oneself; the feeling of guilt after binge eating or the feeling of depression (American Psychiatry Association, 203:350-35).
BN, which is commonly known as bulimia is a life-threatening eating disorder where the individual secretly purges after consuming an excessive amount of food in order to dispose of the extra calories consumed during the uncontrolled eating. In BN there are three essential characteristics: recurrent episodes of binge eating; recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain and self-evaluation that is excessively prejudiced by body shape and weight (American Psychiatry Association, 203:345). Individuals with BN usually overeat in secret and they use various methods to induce vomiting after their binge session for diagnostic purposes, the binge eating must occur at least once a week for a period of at least three months (American Psychiatry Association, 203:345).