What is the connection and difference between binge eating disorder and food addiction?

Before I went into rehab, I was diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder (BED). However, whilst I was in rehab – which I went into for marijuana addiction – I was told that my primary addiction is food, and my secondary is weed. Neither of these diagnoses surprised me but it led me to think well what is the difference between binge eating disorder and food addiction? And which one do I have?

When I left rehab, I started to do some research into this and found out that many food addicts are mistakenly treated for BED. The similarities between the two are that individuals suffering from either of these conditions experience lack of control over food consumption and struggle to lose weight and find it difficult to keep it off through diet and exercise.

Both BED and Food Addiction are behavioural disorders that involve compulsive actions.

The primary differences are that sufferers from Binge Eating Disorder use unhealthy eating behaviours to cover up unresolved feelings. These emotions can come from unresolved trauma, family dysfunction and/or a lack of behaviour skills and cognitive feeling. BED is a mental illness that often results from a combination of motional, psychological, environmental, and biological factors. It is defined as overeating large quantities of food in a small period of time, at least 3 times a week for 6 months or longer. Treatment for BED is often about the emotional factors rather than food.

Whereas individuals with Food Addiction will overeat irrespective of whether they are sad or happy, but they will have emotional issues that may stem from their addictive habit. Sufferers of Food Addiction are physically dependant on trigger foods and need increasing amounts to feel satisfied, they will also crave and eat trigger foods when they are not hungry. These trigger foods are commonly foods high in sugar, fats and/or carbohydrates. Patients of Food Addiction become addicted to the chemical reactions from the consumption of certain foods, which are usually the trigger foods listed above. Food Addiction is therefore more biochemical than BED, it creates a dependency on a physical reaction that results from the consumption of certain foods. Treatment for Food Addiction is about the specific trigger foods that trigger the compulsion to consume large amounts of food.

In many cases of Food Addiction there may also be an underlying psychological eating disorder established from unresolved trauma.

Unfortunately, eating disorders and substance disorders do frequently co-occur. This is often triggered by mental illness. Research has found that women who struggle with either addiction or an eating disorder are 4 times more likely to develop the other condition and result in having co-occurring addiction and disordered eating. Individuals who are in recovery from an eating disorder are at an increased risk of developing an addiction to self-medicate their emotions. Similarly, those recovering from substance abuse are at increased risk of developing an eating disorder to manage their emotions.

Perhaps this is what my experience has been and that I have a co-occurring condition of an eating disorder and substance misuse.

Essentially, the difference is that Binge Eating Disorder is caused by biological, emotional, environmental and psychological factors, whereas Food Addiction is a chemical dependence.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder or substance misuse, please reach out for help. You can find a list of helplines and useful websites HERE.