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Bingeing is eating a lot of food at once, usually very quickly and in secret. Some people spend all day planning their binges. They decide what they will eat, where to get it, and how to eat it without being found out.

A person who binges usually decides to do it after a troubling experience. That kind of event is called a trigger. Once the person gets the idea of bingeing, the urge to do it is too powerful to stop.

Bingeing can be triggered by things like stress at home, a bad day at school or work, or by feeling starved at the end of a day without much food. These are all things that make you feel out of control. Here are some of the ways people who binge say they feel:

• A little excited or rebellious while they're planning and preparing to binge
• Afraid of being caught
• Afraid of putting on weight
• Worried that they might out of control
• Guilty
• Ashamed
• Hate toward themselves
• Disgusted
• Emotionally numb.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.