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Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?

178 Answers
Last Updated: 06/15/2022 at 3:05am
Can you be thin and have a binge eating disorder?
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
July 21st, 2018 9:13am
yes that has happened to a lot of my friends except for me i tend to put on weight when binge eating , i mean food is great who doesn't like food
hollykg
July 21st, 2018 2:30pm
I think it's possible. Typically, a binge eating episode is about once a week and the body can handle an excess in calories without contributing to (noticeable) weight gain. If a person has multiple episodes a week, then they are less likely to be thin because those with BED do not participate in compensatory behaviors.
GratefulYogi
August 3rd, 2018 2:29am
Absolutely! Contrary to what's widely believed, eating disorders don't look a certain way. They present themselves in different ways, and a person with a thin complexion can indeed have a binge eating disorder. just like someone with a more robust complexion can have anorexia. Eating disorders are a symptom of a mental health issue, after all!
musicalBubbles69
August 12th, 2018 6:07am
Yes, you can be thin and have a binge eating disorder. But, binge eating is unhealthy and can eventually add weight.
Anonymous
August 16th, 2018 7:18pm
No one has to be thin to have a binge eating disorder. Same goes for any eating disorder. People need to understand that thin people aren't the only people with eating disorders. There are many people out there who aren't "thin" who have eating disorders. Being thin is a stereotype for someone who has an eating disorder. When in fact, many people who are overweight can have an eating disorder too. They can't help how their body looks, and they either eat, or they try to not eat, or they binge and purge. The only thing people with eating disorders should be told is that they can be dangerous. Not that they have to be thin to have on, or have one to be thin.
Anonymous
August 17th, 2018 2:46pm
Binge eating disorder is a serious condition characterized by uncontrollable eating and resulting weight gain. However it does not depend upon being thin or fat.Metabolism is the controlling factor on your weight control.Binge disorder is a mental condition.If your metabolism is high it can process at a faster rate what you eat and you may not get fat.Weight cannot define any disorder you are having except obesity.Also binge order can be genetic in nature.They may be temporary or permanent in nature.It's better to consult a professional in this situation and not judge it based on appearances.Your size is not in relation to an eating disorder.
romanticthi3f
September 14th, 2018 12:40am
Yes! You can be. Binge eating disorder (or BED for short) is diagnosed based on someones behaviour, not on a persons weight. It's a really common myth that people have to be a certain weight when in reality you often cannot tell whether someone has binge eating disorder just by looking at them. If you or someone you know is struggling with this I advise you to reach out to someone you trust! Whether that's a friend, family member, therapist or a 7 Cups listener. Hope this is helpful!
Anonymous
November 11th, 2018 3:08am
Yes you can, being thin doesn't define your struggles. What you are going through is completely vaild regardless of weight
Anonymous
December 6th, 2018 3:17am
The most important thing everyone needs to know is that you don't have to look like you have an eating disorder to have one. Eating disorders do not pick their targets. For example, people who suffer from anorexia aren't always rich white girls who strive for perfection out of pure vanity. In the same way, not everyone that has binge eating disorder is fat. They could have a great superhuman metabolism, be a chronic exercise addict or have medical or hereditary factles that prevents them from gaining weight. One of my brothers would consume thousands of calories a day since he was very young and now even though he is 18 years old, he never weighed a pound above 120 lbs. The fridge would be full of food and snacks one day, and he would eat everything we had at night then go to sleep. Possibly it's the fact that he exercises a lot, but I'm aware that he binge eats but he is still very slim.
Tao33
December 13th, 2018 6:48am
Yes. Being thin means you either have a very fast metabolism and thus, you can afford to binge, or, it can mean you binge and purge, and/or have periods of anorexia. Eating disorders stem from a sense that we have little control in our lives. These issues are often rooted in childhood. No advice, but if you have a tendency to use food as a means to ‘calm down’, or feel a sense in control you don’t otherwise feel, you’re not alone. Food is everywhere and necessary to live. It can be difficult to navigate; when is enough enough? Stems back to the question that underlies almost every problem we have: Why do we feel we are not good enough? Why do we feel the need to have this, and be that, and earn this, and do that? Life is about enjoying, not having. Being, not wishing to be. Learning, not earning. Doing, not ‘supposed to be doing’. Hope that helps.
Anonymous
January 5th, 2019 7:43pm
Yes, you can. Eating disorders come in many forms and variants. It's not uncommon to see someone with the food restrictive tendency seen in anorexia who will also indulge in the binge and purge cycle seen in bulimia. With disordered eating, it's more a mindset than any one behavior exhibited. There is a large, undercurrent dissatisfaction with the way they look, that may be skewed by a distorted view of themselves physically. There is a fear of gaining weight and of being 'fat'. There is a desire to control what they consume, how they consume it, where, when and the list goes on and on.
maebxd
January 23rd, 2019 8:20pm
Yes, sure you can. Eating disorders are mental illnesses, meaning that only what happens in your head can show if you have these illnesses. As the therapists can't know what actually happen in your mind, they mostly rely on symptoms that show if you have this disorder or not. These symptoms are as binge eating, fasting, puke,.. Assuming if someone is mentally ill or not can't be done by looking at your body but your behavior. It is a mental illness and in contrary at many people's beliefs, you don't have to be thin to be anorexic, you don't have to be fat to be binge eating. You are the only one that can know what is happening in your head. So if you think that something isn't right, then please seek help!
wonderfulSunshine91
May 1st, 2019 3:28pm
Binge eating disorder is a common eating disorder where you frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling powerless to stop and extremely distressed during or after eating. Some people relate this with being fat due to the calories consumed during a binge however you can be thin and have binge eating disorder. While the symptoms of eating disorders revolve around eating, they are more about coping with feelings than they are about food. If you think you have binge eating disorder then it would be a good idea to ask for help from someone you know well and trust.
chillocolate
May 4th, 2019 2:08am
Yes, of course. It's like having anorexia while being obese or overweight -- it's more about the mindset than physical appearance. If you're thin but find yourself constantly obsessing about food, feeling bored when you don't have food, and overeating really often, you likely have BED. It's possible that you exercise a lot, have an unnaturally high metabolism, or that your binges are not as large as your brain may make you believe. However, continuing to binge daily may make you gain wait rapidly. Talk to a counselor or trusted adult if you feel like you need help with your BED.
Anonymous
July 10th, 2019 7:10pm
Absolutely! Eating disorders do not discriminate based on weight or body type. Any kind of eating disorder can happen to anyone, regardless of how they look or what gender they are. Eating disorders can develop based on many different causes, such as how you feel and think about your body, or they can develop as a means to cope with other forms of stress. Just like with most other types of mental illness, an eating disorder is constructed based off of chemical differences in your brain or maladaptive patterns of thinking which are not related to your body type or weight.
Blynng
- Expert in Eating Disorder
April 17th, 2020 1:57pm
Yes. Eating disorders do not have any required size. Even so, binge eating disorder can start with any person at any time, and that means that you may be thin when you first develop the condition. Just like how anorexia nervosa or bulimia can manifest in those who are overweight. It's a complete misconception that you can only be affected or diagnosed with these conditions if you have specific body types. If you suspect that you have developed this condition or something similar, it's important to seek professional support from a licensed clinical provider who specializes in eating disorders. Good luck!
Anonymous
May 22nd, 2020 6:14pm
Yes it is possible. It depends on metabolism. Metabolism like in my family on my mother's end is for us to be thin and the genes I did inherit. If you were to inherit genes from your parents then such would be possible as well. As you may have read, eating disorders affect all kinds of people: young and old, thin and heavy, all races, males and females, etc. So, with all this information, I hope this question has been answered. If you have more questions you can look on Mayo clinic and college webistes or dot govs. Good luck.
Anonymous
June 7th, 2020 8:06am
Yes you can. Eating disorders are mental disorders, not physical ones - the problem is how you think not how your body functions. So, it's possible to have any sort of eating disorder no matter your size, including a binge eating disorder. If you think you have a binge eating disorder, or any other eating disorder, I really encourage you to get help. I know first hand that eating disorders can really mess you up and to beat them, it's best to talk to a professional about them. You are not your eating habits and your disorder doesn't define you!
interestingWhisper09
June 19th, 2020 5:34pm
Yes, absolutely, eating disorder has nothing do with your body type. Being thin only reassures us that you have a good metabolic rate and all the excess food that you have been eating is getting digested. Binge eating disorder can happen to anyone irrespective of their body type. Binge eating is more about your mental and emotional state of mind and less of the physical state. Binge eating disorder has no relation to you being thin or overweight. Binge eating is more about emotional unbalance and not body disbalance. Controlling binge eating needs to balance emotions and not any physical aspect.
lippsviv
June 21st, 2020 11:02pm
Absolutely. The metabolism of people work in various ways, and although binging can lead to weight gain for some, it may have no effect on others. It is also dependent on other measures the individual takes, such as over-exercising or possibly self-induced vomiting. Eating disorders can look different on everyone, and every person may exhibit different signs, including weight gain or weight loss. People also binge different types of food at different times. For example, after not eating for a couple days or hours, one may start to binge. The fact that they have not eaten for a certain period of time may affect the body's reaction to binging.
generousBerry9965
June 25th, 2020 1:11am
Yes. An eating disorder is described by behaviors and thoughts, not weight and outwards appearances. Weight and size are side affects that come with the mental illness, which some people may not experience. This applies to all eating disorders as they are not about size, but about the persons mentality. Any person, thin or not, can still have a BED; the same as any person can have anorexia. Some factors that may cause a difference between two people's experience with an eating disorder are genetics and metabolism. One's weight should never be used to decide whether or not someone has an eating disorder. Everyone calling for help should be believed, even if you can't see the direct effects.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2020 11:48pm
Yes it is very common to be thin and have a binge eating disorder. No matter the body size, eating disorders are a mental illness and anyone could suffer from it. Your weight does not define your mental health. It's impossible to know if someone has an eating disorder by looking at their body size. BED can range from a few binges to many. Regardless it isn't healthy and if you believe you have it seek help from a doctor. It's okay to admit you have BED especially if you need help. Once again, it can affect anyone; thin or not.
daniross
August 9th, 2020 6:20pm
Of course! Binge eating disorder involves so many factors, and cannot be linked to one gender or body type. In many ways, this makes it more difficult to identify in others. Those with binge eating disorder typically large amounts of food in one sitting, and then feel guilty afterwards. This guilt can involve actions like obsessively exercising the weight off, or purging. It is important that those with this disorder seek help. Seeking help allows one to admit their strengths and bravery, rather than admitting weakness. By being open and honest about the struggles we face, we can better shape our society and erase hurtful and untrue stigmas.
SunshineRayyy
August 14th, 2020 3:58am
Absolutely. Binge-eating is an unhealthy disorder and can be life-threatening. Some people who suffer from that disorder are thin because they could end up purging the food that they just ate. It is a mental disorder that messes with your mind and your perception of yourself and food. Anyone suffering from a binge-eating disorder should seek medical and professional help. It is important to not judge people just by the way that they look. You can't tell anyone's story by their appearance, so anyone thin could also have a binge-eating disorder. You never know. Developing a healthy relationship with food is the most important .
Anonymous
August 26th, 2020 4:51pm
Yes, a binge eating disorder does not always accompany being overweight. All body types handle and process food differently because we all have different metabolisms. It is important to know that any body size can struggle with binge eating. It is important to know what your body needs and does not need and seek help if you feel like you are struggling with food. Binge eating is characterized as consuming large amounts of food in one sitting and not being able to stop. Meeting with a specialist in this field can help you understand more about this diagnosis and self image.
NeonFlames59
September 7th, 2020 2:06am
Yes, some people have a high metabolism and can have binge eating disorder. Some people have this mental illness can look like it doesn't impact them because they still stay in a fit/slim state. This may be caused by a fast/high metabolism that means the food is processed quicker than others. Many people underestimate the impact that this causes on the individual and can seem like it doesn't affect them from a person viewing them from the outside unaware of the situation that they are in but the person isn't seeing their metal state and only seeing them in their physical form.
ListenerMichael
October 21st, 2020 6:46pm
Yes, you can be any weight and still struggle with any eating disorder. There is no weight limit, or required appearance for an eating disorder, all of them come in all shapes and sizes, including binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder, similarly to other eating disorders, leads to a strained relationship with food, and like other eating disorders, is often accompanied by different weight maintenance efforts, in some cases including purging. Also, we all react differently to food, and our bodies process it differently, so it is reasonable to be considered "thin" and to still binge and overeat. Although we don't commonly associate the two, that doesn't mean it is not valid! Eating disorders can be very scary, and difficult to deal with, but that doesn't mean that we have to limit ourselves to fit a specific definition of what we perceive a specific eating disorder to be!
Anonymous
November 4th, 2020 6:46pm
Many people think that different types of eating disorders have to "look a certain way". However, even though certain stereotypes may exist, everybody (and every BODY) is different. This means that while you might expect that a person with a binge eating disorder would look a certain way or have a certain body type, that's just not always the case. Within the population of people with binge eating disorders, there is a lot of variability and variety. People have different types of foods they like to binge on and people also have different metabolisms. Therefore, it is possible that a person with a binge eating disorder could, in fact, be thin.
playfulRainfall2519
November 29th, 2020 2:16pm
Yes, you can. I know someone who keeps eating and eating, but they are thin. I don't know if they sport a lot or just naturally don't gain a lot of weight. But to have an eating disorder you don't need to look a certain way. If you can't stop eating or if you skip meals, you, most of the time, have an eating disorder. For some people, an eating disorder is worse than for others, and how you look has nothing to do with that. So to come back to my friend who has a binge eating disorder, maybe they don't eat dinner or breakfast, maybe they exercise a lot, but they have an eating disorder.
Maradudin14
December 2nd, 2020 1:36pm
There is no weight that you have to be to have any type of eating disorder. Although it's often not touched on, eating disorders can affect anyone, no matter your weight. I understand that binge eating disorders are not as often talked about, which is why it can be difficult to find information about them. You should always seek a professional diagnosis if you suspect that you may have a binge eating disorder, because, despite sometimes eating enough food to sustain you, it can have long term impacts on your mental and physical health. Thanks for reaching out, and I hope you seek more help.