Almost everyone overeats on occasion , having seconds or thirds of a big meal or eating an entire bag of chips while watching a scary movie. Sometimes, though, overeating becomes a regular occurrence, surrounded with shame and secrecy. It's called binge-eating disorder, a serious form of disorderly eating in which you frequently consume large amountsof food.

Individuals who suffer from binge eating disorder (also known as compulsive eating or food addiction) not only consume huge amounts of food but are obsessed with food and food related thoughts, often thinking about what they are going to eat next while they are in the midst of a binge and going through elaborate planning and extreme lengths to get the foods they think are going to satisfy their strong cravings. Oftentimes these binges are on high sugar and high carbohydrate foods and they lead to excessive weight gain and both physical and mental health issues such as depression, sadness, and feelings of helplessness.

You might of done it or know someone who has. It's that out of control craving to eat, not only one cookie, but the whole box. It's the unstoppable urge to eat the whole carton of ice cream instead of just one bowl.

It is sometimes possible to stall the cravings and take your mind off of it long enough to get out of your head. This time allows your thoughts to focus on something other than food until the feelings subside. I find the best things to do are physical, as they engage the body without allowing the mind more to think about.

The most important part of preventing a binge eating incident is to understand that once you have gotten past the desire, you must try to comprehend the reason for it. I find reflection is an excellent tool for this, writing out all of your thoughts as honestly as possible

There are things you can do to overcome a binge. You can go for a walk and let the cravings out of your body through each step you take. You can listen to your favourite music and dance like a maniac. You can go for a run outside. You can yell into a pillow and let yourself cry uninhibited. You can breathe deeply, sit still and try to meditate. You can also call a friend or a family member for support

Often for a binge eater food is used to deal with emotions that the person does not or cannot deal with, filling themselves with food to numb the pain. Often the individual feels overwhelmed, anxious, stressed out and has low self-esteem, similar to those dealing with anorexia or bulimia.

Binge eating is also triggered by chronic dieting and yo-yo dieting. Following a binge, the person usually makes new diet rules and vows to never overeat again. This cycle perpetuates feelings of low self worth and hopelessness.

A new study by a university of Montreal neuroscientist, has brought to light the similarities between binging and drug addiction. The same hormones that regulate feeding also regulate neuron activity that is connected to drug abuse. By studying obese mice in his research, he found that whether it's craving food, alcohol or any other substance, the same molecular changes take place. This study shows how addictive binge eating can be. While a binge eater wants to quit in some ways it can be as hard as a drug addict who's also trying to quit. While there are many resources for binge eating help, it can still be a very tough task.