EP1: WHY THE DEFINITION OF A 'BINGE' DOESN'T MATTER (THAT MUCH)

CLICK TO GET YOUR FREE CHECKLIST FOR A BINGE-FREE WEEK

Meet Jo, a Registered Dietitian and Certified intuitive Counsellor from Ireland, here to smash the taboo of binge eating. In this episode, I get into why the definition of binge eating really doesn't matter and why the world needs more conversation about binge eating. 

Welcome to the Binge Eating Dietitian!In this very first episode, I’m going to introduce myself and how I got to be here talking to you about binge eating, and why the world needs more open discussion about food and disordered eating, I’ll then delve into how binge eating is defined and why, it is in fact, pretty irrelevant.

Thank you for listening to the Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast! As well as over 130 episodes, what else do I have in store for you?

• Grab my free CHECKLIST for a binge-free week here. 
• From Bingeing Unseen To Snack Plate Queen - Free Guide HERE. 
• Come say hi over on INSTAGRAM @binge.eating.dietitian
• Book your 90minute Clarity Consultation with me HERE. 
• (LAST CHANCE - SUNSET SALE) Smash Your Binge Eating Self-Paced Program HERE

Take care of yourself, Jo x

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the very first episode of the binge eating Podcast. I'm Jo. I'm a Registered Dietitian and certified Intuitive Eating counselor and I'm here to smash the taboo of binge eating by bringing you personal and professional experience, real life stories and practical advice to help you get your life back from binge eating.

I'm so so happy to be here. And I want to give you a big thank you for being here as well. And for pushing me to start the podcast in the first place. You may or you may not already follow me on Instagram. If you don't I'm @binge.eating.dietitian. And if you do, you'll know I have a lot to say about binge eating. I love to talk about this topic. And I felt that recently it's hard to get your point across and to impart all the wisdom and knowledge and information I have via an Instagram post. So here we go. Enter podcast, what a better way to have a proper, deep meaningful conversation with you about binge eating. I hope that you enjoy it. And if you have ever any feedback or anything that you want me to cover, please do just drop me a DM via that Instagram. So what to expect in this first episode? Well, firstly, I'm going to introduce myself and how I got to being here to be talking to you about binge eating in the first place. I'm then gonna chat a bit about why the world needs this. We need more discussion, more chats, more conversation, more podcasts, and film and video all about binge eating because it's something that so many people suffer with. And then lastly, I'm going to delve a little bit into what actually is binge eating. You may be wondering yourself, Am I a binge eater? Is this something that I suffer with? Well, I'm going to discuss what actually is the definition for binge eating? And then why to be honest, the definition is largely irrelevant. So stay tuned for that at the end.

All right, so let's get cracking. So as I said in the intro, my name is Jo. Well, my full name is Joanne Moscalu. But I just feel that's a bit lengthy. And although I love that it shortens down into Jomo like J O Mo. And if you know what that means, and you get it, but we'll just stick with Jo. You may have guessed from the accent, I am Irish, but I moved to the UK in 2017. And I lived there on the lovely Suffolk coast. But more recently, I've just moved to the States and I now live in Boston, Massachusetts. So forgive me if my accent is a bit all over the place. I've definitely picked up words here and there.

Talking to people like you who suffer with binge eating is actually what gets me out of bed in the morning. I live to work with people like you to help you to overcome your issues with food so that you can go and get the life that you want to live because it is out there waiting for you. The job that you want to go for the friends that you want to make the hobby that you want to start. It's all there waiting for you. But I understand when you are struggling with binge eating, it feels like you don't have access to any of it because you have this massive burden of a unhealthy relationship with food on your shoulders.

I had just qualified as a dietitian, like I was meant to know everything. I had all this knowledge and wisdom about nutritional content and the quote unquote, power of eating. Yet I was so caught up in this cycle of restriction, and binging and restricting and binge eating, to the point where I was binging every single day. And of course, nobody knew because nobody ever knows, like, we don't tell people that we're going through this, how can you tell somebody that you're dealing with this raging binge eating problem, I was the one that was supposed to be the dietician. That's what it said on my name, badge. And even though it wasn't that long ago, binge eating wasn't talked about half as much as it is now. And I would have killed for an open discussion like this. Back then.

At this point, you may be wondering, what actually is a binge? Do I binge eat? Do I have binge eating disorder, which is a term I've heard floating about lately? Do I just overeat? Do I just really enjoy food and I do actually have a problem with food. The all these questions might be going through your mind right now. And I'm going to help to clear it up a little bit.

So there's this big book called the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental health disorders by the American Psychiatric  Association. And the terms binge eating and binge eating disorder are defined in this book, I'm going to take you through those definitions. But before I do that, I really really want to stress if you don't meet the defining criteria for binge eating, or binge eating disorder, don't worry, these diagnosing criteria are only helpful as a guide, but they're not everything. I respect that they have their purpose, but I also respect that you may be struggling and your struggles are valid. And even if you don't completely fit the diagnostic criteria, it doesn't mean that you don't have something that's worthy of help.

Binge eating disorder is recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would under similar circumstances, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of lack of control. Someone with binge eating disorder may eat too quickly, even when he or she is not hungry. The person may have feelings of guilt, embarrassment or disgust and may binge eat alone to hide the behavior. This disorder is associated with distress and occurs on average at least once a week over three months. So again, it's a very tight definition like it finishes with

It binges occur at least once a week for three months. But what what if it happens every second week? But it's happened to you like for the last five years? Does that mean that your issues are not valid? Of course not? Of course not. Your issues with food are valid. And I even invite you to ask yourself, Is my relationship with food and binge eating, affecting my mental health and preventing me from living a life? That is true to me? If the answer is yes, then that's all that matters. It doesn't matter what the diagnostic criteria says. 

What I found diagnostic criteria to be useful for is that they help with the planning of services, especially in the UK, in Ireland, we depend on these these strict diagnostic criteria so that we can label people as having the disorder, and therefore we can provide services. And we can lobby the government in the HSE and NHS to provide a services for these people who are meeting this criteria for this disorder. And in the seats, although I haven't seen anybody here yet, I have learned that having diagnostic criteria is most useful for when billing insurance companies, because in the states most health care is paid for by insurance. So when the client is is getting money back from their insurance company for their consultation, they like to just see what box is ticked. And if you meet other criteria for binge eating disorder, you will tick that box. So I'm coming towards the end now. 

And if there's one thing I want you to take from this episode, is that you don't have to fit any kind of criteria to be dessert deserving of help for your problems with food. I'm gonna say it again. You don't have to fit any kind of criteria to be deserving of help. For your problems with food. You deserve help for your binge eating. As that brings me to the end of the very first episode, thank you so much for being here. Come say hi on Instagram at binge eating dot dietitian and send me a DM if you've any particular topics you'd like me to delve into. Thank you so much again, and I'll see you back here next week. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical or mental health advice and it does not constitute a provider patient relationship.