Binge Eating may be Linked to Suicidal Behavior

Young African American girls who binge eat are more likely to report suicide attempts, suggests study.

According to a new study of African American girls, by Dr. Rashelle Musci and colleagues from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in the US, those who experience depressive and anxious symptoms are often dissatisfied with their bodies and more likely to display binge eating behaviors.

These behaviors put them at higher risk for turning their emotions inward, in other words, displaying internalizing symptoms such as suicide.

With the focus on appearance in Western culture, it is not uncommon for many girls and women to have eating behavior problems.

The most frequently occurring problem eating behaviors are binge eating, or eating large amounts of food in a short period of time and feeling out of control while eating.

Overview Suicide
Suicide is an act of ending one's own life and it usually results from emotional isolations and inability to adjust and cope with one's environment.

This behavior leads to shame, embarrassment, distress and an attempt to conceal it.

Musci and team investigated how depressive and anxious symptoms may be precursors to binge eating behaviors and suicidal outcomes in 313 black females followed for 11 years, from the ages of approximately 6-17 years old.

Quiz on Anorexia / Bulimia
Anorexia Nervosa – is it a psychological disorder , or simply an eating disorder gotten out of hand? And how does it differ from Bulimia Nervosa? Participate in our anorexia quiz to find out how well you understand this condition; learn its modern-day implications and how, in these mordern times, it affects both sexes equally .

Teacher, parent, and child interviews were carried out, examining levels of anxiety, depression, satisfaction with physical appearance, and eating behaviors, particularly binge eating.

Adolescent girls with more binge eating behaviors reported more suicide attempts.

Strange Food Pairings Linked to Binge Eating
Food concocting - the making of strange food mixtures like mashed potatoes and Oreo cookies, Italian dressing and salt is common among binge eaters, suggests study.

The study is published online in Springer's journal, Prevention Science.

Source-ANI