Binge eating manifests itself differently for each individual. Some people feel like they’re bingeing when they eat just a little bit more than their usual amount of food, which is considered a subjective binge. For others, this behavior is totally unmanageable. A true binge, then, is a complete loss of control that results in eating an exorbitant amount of calories in a small amount of time. When repeated, this way of functioning develops into binge eating disorder. 

Case Study: True Bingeing 

In a recent YouTube video, nutritionist Elaina Efird, RDN, CD, CEDRD, CSSD dives into a case study of someone who is dealing with true bingeing nearly every day. This eating pattern not only impacted her metabolism but also affected how her body was breaking down fat and carbohydrates.

The 23-year-old individual was 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 250 pounds. She alternated between restricting and bingeing, something we see often with our clients. She would eat little or no breakfast; have a small snack like a granola bar mid-morning; and eat lunch around 1 p.m. Once she got home in the afternoon, her bingeing would begin. She would grab whatever she could find in the pantry and then skip dinner as her eating progressed into a true binge. 

As an example, she would eat an entire pint of ice cream and then eat every single bite of her leftover lasagna. Then, she would return to the crackers and chips that she had been snacking on earlier. Next, she would grab the Chinese leftovers and consume those as well. Ultimately, she would eat 5,000 to 7,000 calories in just a few hours. 

The next day, she would engage in the same restrictive eating behaviors before repeating the binge cycle in the evening. 

Her Metabolic Testing Results

At her initial metabolic test, we predicted her metabolic rate to be around 1,900 calories per day. Her actual metabolic rate, however, was over 2,300 calories. This increase occurred because of the sheer volume that she was eating each day. “Her metabolism didn’t actually drop like it would for someone who is only restricting,” Elaina explains. “It stayed high — even higher than we would predict it to be.” It is important to note that bingeing is not a safe and healthy way to restore or maintain your metabolic rate.

Because she is eating enough (too much, in this case), her protein metabolism is normal. What is more significant here is the breakdown of fat versus carbohydrates. Her fat metabolism is 15 percent below normal, and her carbohydrate metabolism (which includes general food intake) is 15 percent above normal, even though she hasn’t eaten anything for 12 hours. 

“In other words, her body is breaking down 15 percent of what she ate the evening before. These results imply that she consumed way too many calories late at night and is still processing them,” Elaina says. “It makes sense, right? If she ate 7,000 calories, it’s going to take the body a long time to get through them.” Because the carbohydrate utilization is so much higher than it should be, we’re also seeing that her body is not effectively burning fat as a source of fuel.

Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder

“This case was something I really wanted to share,” Elaina adds at the end of the video. “I think it’s important that we talk about how bingeing is both emotional and physiological. We want to address both factors throughout the treatment and healing process.

In order to break this cycle, we encourage this individual to wake up in the morning and eat a high-calorie, high-protein breakfast (500 calories with 30 grams of protein). One of the big reasons she was bingeing at night was because she was restricting her intake so much throughout the day. Her body was hungry! Additionally, therapy can help this individual address the psychological reasons behind her bingeing. 

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To talk to a professional about eating disorder treatment, nutritional needs, and more, please reach out to our staff or schedule an appointment at The Kahm Clinic today.