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Binge Eating Disorder Treatment

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Medically reviewed by Dr. med. Sarah Boss
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Binge eating disorder is one of the most common eating disorders in the United States, yet many people still go years without knowing they need help. BED often starts quietly. Episodes may feel like a loss of control, followed by guilt, stress, or shame. These emotions can make daily life harder, affecting health, confidence, and relationships. Even though BED is widespread, many people never reach out because they don’t recognize the signs or don’t know that treatment can work.

Understanding how binge eating disorder develops is the first step toward healing. With the right support, recovery becomes possible for anyone, no matter how long they have struggled. At Balance Rehab Clinic, our specialists guide patients through evidence-based care that supports both emotional and physical health, helping them rebuild a steady and confident relationship with food.

Key Takeaways

  • Binge eating disorder is common but often overlooked, which delays treatment for many people.
  • BED involves repeated episodes of heavy eating without compensatory behaviors, often followed by guilt or emotional distress.
  • Medical care may include monitoring vital signs, tracking weight, and addressing physical complications linked to binge eating.
  • Nutritional therapy supports structured eating, balanced meals, and improved comfort with feared or avoided foods.
  • CBT is the leading therapy for BED and focuses on managing triggers, building regular eating habits, and reducing binge episodes.
  • Other therapies, such as interpersonal therapy, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches, can also support recovery.
  • Rehab programs offer different levels of care, including residential, partial hospitalization, extended day, and intensive outpatient treatment.
  • Treatment success improves when patients work on hunger cues, trigger identification, mindful eating, and structured meal planning.
  • Recovery is possible with the right combination of medical support, therapy, and daily self-care strategies.

Medical treatment is beneficial for patients with BED who present with unstable physical parameters. A medical doctor handles the treatment with specific training in treating different types of eating disorders. The goal is to identify and address all potential medical issues and complications arising from binge eating disorder.

According to the Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders guidelines by the Academy for Eating Disorders, medical treatment for BED includes:

  • Monitoring vital signs
  • Weight tracking and laboratory testing
  • Additional testing to determine bone density and heart function
  • Management of all physical symptoms, including heart problems and gastrointestinal distress

The initial and most crucial step for treating binge eating disorder involves reparation for the lost health and weight by normalizing food intake and associated behaviors. For this purpose, experts may use nutritional therapy under the supervision of a registered dietician. This therapy involves a detailed assessment of an individual’s current nutritional status, food preferences, and medical needs. Following this, the dietician collaborates with patients to develop a meal plan that adequately addresses their nutrition while providing graded exposure to their feared foods to increase flexibility.

So far, the best psychological treatment for eating disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. CBT has proven extremely effective in treating bulimia nervosa, BED, anorexia nervosa, and other eating disorders. CBT tends to focus on addressing the symptoms and behavioral changes associated with binge eating disorder through the following key elements:

  • Meal planning
  • Self-monitoring, for example, through a food diary
  • Addressing over-evaluation of weight and shape
  • Relapse prevention
  • Exposure to forbidden food
  • Addressing negative body image
  • Establishment of regular eating
  • Challenging dietary rules
  • Disruption of dangerous behaviors, such as binge eating, dieting, and any compensatory mechanisms
  • Other types of psychotherapies that can prove effective in BED management include:
  • Interpersonal therapy
  • Cognitive remediation therapy
  • Integrative cognitive-affective therapy
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy
  • Mindfulness-based eating awareness training
  • Special supportive clinical management

Lisdexamfetaminedimesylate, or LDX, is the only FDA-approved medication to manage binge eating disorder. As a stimulant, experts often prescribe LDX to patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Like any pharmaceutical medication, LDX comes with its own potential side effects; hence, it is important for a healthcare provider to balance its pros and cons. For example, a doctor may carefully assess whether you are at risk for stroke or suffer from heart problems.  Some common side effects of LDX include nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal distress. Because of its stimulant nature, the medication may also cause some people jitteriness, restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia.

Other medications used for binge eating disorder treatment are off-label since they do not hold approval for managing BED from a relevant regulatory authority. Some of these medications include weight loss pills since many BED patients have obesity, and one of their long-term treatment goals is shedding all extra body weight.

A professional rehab is the best place to learn how to treat binge eating disorder effectively while minimizing the chances of recovery. While there are different types of eating disorders treatment facilities working across the United States, most of them operate on the following levels of care:

Residential Treatment

Also known as inpatient treatment, this type of recovery program is for residents who are medically stable but require the help and support of staff round-the-clock.

Extended Day Treatment Program

This includes up to 12 hours of individualized treatment for binge eating disorder for patients who present with severely impaired functioning.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

As a less intense form of treatment than residential programs, PHP offers BED patients a place to practice real-life skills that they acquired in the previous level of care. It may serve as an entry point or a step down from a more intensive treatment program.

Intensive Outpatient Program

This level of care provides a step-up in supporting those struggling with BED or a step down for those transitioning from a more intensive treatment program

Regardless of the type of rehab or the level of care an individual opts for to receive BED treatment, achieving recovery requires a collaborative effort from the patient’s end. There are multiple things experts recommend patients must do to improve treatment outcomes. These strategies include:

Paying attention to hunger cues

Eat only when you truly feel hungry. Pay attention to hunger cues, such as lightheadedness, a growling stomach, and irritability. Delaying eating to the point of starvation is one of the biggest risk factors that trigger binge eating.

Get rid of trigger foods

Most people suffering from binge eating disorder have specific foods that trigger their binge episodes. For instance, some might find it difficult to resist cookies, while others may be tempted to keep savoring noodles. If such is the case with you, get rid of all trigger foods from the house. If someone else wishes to keep them, explain how it would harm them or ask them to keep it out of your sight.

Identify triggers

Try identifying triggers that force you to binge eat and avoid them as much as possible. For instance, some people are more likely to indulge in binge eating when they visit buffet-style restaurants and can benefit by avoiding going there. For others, food-related social interactions might serve as a trigger. You may work with your therapist as a part of your inpatient or outpatient binge eating disorder treatment rehab to identify these triggers in a much better way.

Practice mindful eating

Try your best not to indulge in any other activity while you are eating, such as watching television, reading, or working. Pay attention to the food you eat and be mindful of the quantities you consume. Avoid eating when you feel bored, as boredom also leads to BED episodes.

Keep a food journal

Keeping a food journal can provide help with binge eating disorder for many. Use this journal to write down every food item you consume during the day. Maintaining this journal can help you hold yourself accountable and practice vigilance in the future. You may also consider reporting your weekly food intake to a family member or a friend to increase accountability.

Plan your meals

Building a healthy meal plan is one of the best tips to stop binge eating. As a part of inpatient or outpatient treatment, you can get in touch with an onsite nutritionist to devise a meal plan that is nutritious and healthy but does not leave you feeling deprived at the same time. If you are planning to join a luxury binge eating disorder treatment center, you may also get access to a personal chef who can cater to your meal plans in a better way as you focus on other aspects of recovery.

Stay Active

Many inpatient rehabilitation centers for eating disorders come with a fitness center or an onsite gym to promote wellness in their clients. Try to visit it every day and spend time working out to keep up your activity levels. If you seek outpatient binge eating therapy or are enrolled in a PHP, consider joining a gym outside your treatment program.

Stay hydrated

Make it a habit to drink plenty of water every day. A typical binge-eating diet usually involves a lot of sugar and salt, which can dehydrate the body. The resultant thirst can also be mistaken for hunger and trigger binge eating.

Avoid using a weighing scale

Avoid attempting to check your body weight on your own. Your treatment provider at the rehab will help you with it under their supervision when the time is right. Attempting to check your weight too often or on your own can interfere with the ongoing recovery process.

When someone faces binge eating disorder (BED), they benefit most from a program that treats the whole person—not just the eating behaviour. At Balance Rehab Clinic, we go beyond singular symptoms and deliver an integrative, custom-designed treatment path that is grounded in research and tailored to your lived experience.

Personalized Assessment and Care

Right from intake, clients receive a detailed evaluation of both physical and psychological health. This early assessment helps us identify any medical complications, nutritional imbalances, or co-occurring mental health issues. This comprehensive approach ensures we don’t overlook any factor that could derail recovery.

Evidence-Based Therapeutic Models

Balance Rehab Clinic engages proven therapies recommended for BED. For example:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to change patterns of thinking and behaviour around eating and body image.
  • Mindfulness-based and acceptance strategies to help you live more freely instead of being controlled by urges and shame.
    Because BED impacts both the body and mind, this dual focus is essential and part of our core program.

Nutrition Support and Meal-Structure

Because binge eating often involves disrupted eating patterns, Balance Rehab Clinic places strong emphasis on nutritional therapy. You’ll work with a registered dietician to build flexible, non-restrictive eating plans and confront “forbidden-food” fears in a safe context. Over time you relearn regular, balanced eating rather than the restrict-then-binge cycle.

Graduated Levels of Care

Recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our centre provides multiple levels of care (including day treatment, intensive outpatient, and step-down support) so you stay in a program that matches your current needs. Transitioning through these levels helps maintain momentum and reduce the risk of relapse.

Small Groups & High Clinician Ratio

Research supports that better outcomes occur when treatment groups are smaller and clients have more face-time with clinicians. At Balance Rehab Clinic, we keep client numbers low and staffing high so your treatment feels personal, not generic. This leads to more meaningful insight and faster skill-development.

Aftercare & Ongoing Support

Healing doesn’t end when you leave the centre. We help you prepare a realistic after-care plan that includes peer support, family involvement, and nutrition maintenance. By embedding these supports into your exit plan, you strengthen your long-term recovery and reduce chances of returning to old patterns.

Why It Matters for You

By choosing Balance Rehab Clinic, you’re selecting a centre that aligns treatment with your personal story, your body’s needs, and your emotional world. You won’t be treated as a “case number.” Instead, you’ll be guided by professionals who understand how BED affects daily life and who give you tools to rebuild lasting stability, self-trust, and a healthier relationship with food.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Academy for Eating Disorders. (2016). Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders (3rd ed.).
https://www.aedweb.org/resources/publications/medical-care-standards

National Eating Disorders Association. (2023). Binge Eating Disorder.
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bed

National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Eating Disorders: Facts and Statistics.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/eating-disorders

Fairburn, C. G. (2008). Cognitive behavior therapy and eating disorders. Guilford Press.
https://www.guilford.com/books/Cognitive-Behavior-Therapy-and-Eating-Disorders/Christopher-G-Fairburn/9781593857097

Vocks, S., Tuschen-Caffier, B., Pietrowsky, R., Rustenbach, S. J., Kersting, A., & Herpertz, S. (2010). Meta-analysis of psychological and pharmacological treatments for binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 43(3), 205–217.
https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20696

Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 61(3), 348–358.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.040

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2015). FDA approves first medication for binge-eating disorder.
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-medication-binge-eating-disorder

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HOW THE BALANCE CAN HELP WITH BED

The Balance RehabClinic is a leading provider of luxury addiction and mental health treatment for affluent individuals and their families, offering a blend of innovative science and holistic methods with unparalleled individualised care.

A UNIQUE METHOD TREATING BED

a successful and proven concept focusing on underlying causes
ONE CLIENT AT A TIME
Our program consists of treating only one client at a time individually designed to help you with all the problematic aspects of your life. All individual treatment sessions will be held at your private residence.
TAILORED LASTING APPROACH
Your program is designed based on your personal needs. The team will exchange daily information and adjust the schedule as we go. Our therapists will work with you treating the root causes and not just the symptoms and goes beyond your stay to ensure lasting success.
BIOCHEMICAL RESTORATION
Our biochemical imbalance can be affected by diet and stressful life events, but it often goes back to genetics and epigenetics. We do specific biochemical laboratory testing to determine an individual’s biochemical imbalance. Combining the results of the lab tests with anamnestic information and clinical tests, we prescribe an individualized and compounded vitamin, mineral, nutrient protocol to help recover from various disease states.
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY & HOLISTIC
Our experts combine the best from psychological treatment, holistic medicine to support you individually and providing complementary therapies all coordinated from one source working complementing each other integrative.
TECHNOLOGY BASED TREATMENT
Using latest cutting-edge technology-based therapies such as Neurofeedback, tDCS, and SSP, we can track the biological patterns of your body, giving us valuable insight into your health and well-being as well support your brain and body performance and recovery with neuromodulation.
TRAUMA INFORMED THERAPY
Complex trauma is often a key factor to distress mental and physical state. The Balance provides a safe space along integrated trauma treatment methods to enable healing.

BED TREATMENT LASTING APPROACH

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Define Treatment Goals

1 week

Assessments & Detox

1-4 week

Psychological & Holistic Therapy

4 week

Family Therapy

5-8 week

Aftercare

12+ week

Refresher Visit