Binge eating disorder dedicated entry (6B62), defining BED as frequent, recurrent episodes of binge eating (once a week or more over a period of several months) which are not regularly followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors aimed at preventing weight gain. Previously considered a topic for further research exploration, binge eating disorder was included in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" in 2013. Until 2013, binge eating disorder was categorized as an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, an umbrella category for eating disorders that don't fall under the categories for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Because it was not a recognized psychiatric
Emotional eating Those who experience this biologically instigated increase in appetite during times of stress are therefore primed to rely on emotional eating as a coping mechanism. Emotional eating differs from actual hunger in a number of ways. Emotional hunger tends to hit quickly and suddenly and feels urgent, yet physical hunger is usually not as urgent or sudden unless it has been a while since a person ate. Someone who is physically hungry will often eat anything, while someone who is emotionally hungry will want something specific, such as fries or a pizza; emotional hunger is usually associated with cravings for