BBB24: understand binge eating, Yasmin’s disorder – 01/17/2024 – Balance

Kept in the shadows of private life, binge eating in itself is already loaded with guilt for the excesses committed. In the case of model Yasmin Brunet, 35, participant in the current edition of the reality show Big Brother Brasil, the problem gained reinforcement and projection after singer Rodriguinho, 45, one of the contestants, began to criticize the model’s compulsive behavior at meals on national television. and the effects they would have on the sister’s body.

Social judgments, however, do not contribute anything to improving the disorder, and may even cause the condition to worsen, since it is linked to anxiety, anguish and emotional discomfort.

People with binge eating disorder (BED), according to experts who deal with the problem, cannot avoid eating uncontrollably and need professional support.

Doctor Fábio Salzano, vice-coordinator of the Eating Disorders Program at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq) of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (HC-FMUSP), highlights that BED is different from bulimia (which also involves binge eating) due to the absence of post-ingestion compensatory behaviors, such as inducing vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics or exercising excessively or fasting.

“TCA and other disorders end up being greatly influenced by the person’s perception of their body, how it is, how it should be. This takes on a very intense importance. People end up entering a cycle of food restriction and can reach to a moment when this restriction ends up favoring the beginning of compulsive behavior”, says Salzano.

In the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), TCA falls under eating disorders such as hyperphagia associated with other psychological disorders (ICD 10 – F50.4). Treatment is multidisciplinary, involving psychotherapy, support from a nutritionist and, sometimes, the use of antidepressants and even physical re-education and physiotherapy.

The clinical criteria for diagnosis are a minimum frequency of once a week for at least three months, a feeling of lack of control and eating faster than normal. There may also be ingestion in large quantities without the need for hunger, eating alone out of shame for other people’s opinions and feeling nauseated, depressed or guilty after excessive meals.

Two binge episodes per week is already considered extremely serious by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by doctors.

“Of course, there may also be a genetic profile that favors this type of situation and changes in terms of mood, anxiety, emotional, in addition to socio-cultural factors, [como] the pressure to have a beautiful body. We see a lot of demands on social media, especially from women. [por esse padrão]. What is called ‘having an ideal body’, with characteristics that are absolutely different from the physical type of the Brazilian man and the usual Brazilian woman”, assesses the doctor.

Salzano says that this scenario causes people to end up engaging in “practices that are completely inappropriate from a nutritional, psychological and medical point of view to acquire this body.”

In Yasmin’s case, the model responded to the criticism she received on BBB24 by asking to be left “alone” and to stop talking about compulsion, as this would be one of her triggers. In addition to the jokes about the weight of the participant, who has a slim catwalk body, the program showed scenes of Yasmin searching anxiously for food and eating exaggerated portions of cottage cheese that generated a buzz on social media.

Psychologist Claudia Melo, an addiction specialist and cognitive-behavioral therapist working at the Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Álcool e Drogas (CAPS AD), states that, during a crisis, the person may feel an intense urgency to eat and an inability to stop, even when you are physically uncomfortable.

“During episodes of binge eating, a person may eat quickly without tasting or enjoying the food. It is important to note that binge eating is a disorder that requires proper diagnosis and treatment. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, It is recommended to seek help from a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, for appropriate assessment and guidance”, says Melo.

Crises, Melo points out, can be caused by a variety of reasons, including a combination of physical, emotional and environmental factors ranging from dietary restriction, the presence of very palatable foods (ultra-processed foods with a lot of sugar, fat or salt, for example) to stress.

“The compulsion [também] it may be related to underlying emotional issues, such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, loneliness or boredom”, ponders the psychologist.

Nutritionist Cássia Helena Maia, a master’s student in food and nutrition in the area of ​​obesity at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), specializes in eating behavior and remembers that this type of disorder is psychiatric and brings “disturbance in the way the individual relates to food”, which can compromise physical health and psychosocial functioning.

TCA, according to the nutritionist, “is more like an abnormality in the amount of food consumed than a craving for a specific nutrient”, and occurs both in individuals of normal weight and in those who are overweight or obese.

“It is common to begin in adolescence and young adulthood, and is more prevalent in those seeking treatment to lose weight and who practice diets, which is a factor that maintains the cycle of compulsion. It is worth highlighting that psychiatric comorbidity is linked to the severity of the binge eating, not the degree of obesity”, says Maia.

Although there is a higher prevalence of binge eating among women, men also have the problem. The remission rate (the “cure” of the problem) usually varies from partial to complete.

On the nutritional side, treatment involves recognizing all triggers to minimize the effects or allow the person to better deal with them. “In conjunction with psychology, organize and restructure food, thinking about combinations, number of meals, plate volume, more complete and nutritious portions and still enjoyable”, suggests the nutritionist.

Another tip is to learn to recognize the physical signs of hunger and satiety, as well as how to deal with frustrations in the process. “There is a need to set and sustain limits; to be able to make choices more easily. It is a medium to long-term treatment, but it results in the individual being able to have more structure, autonomy, organization, self-respect, and removing food from that level so important, being able to look at food with more neutrality and, thus, reduce your suffering”, reinforces Maia.

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