If you're struggling with binge eating disorder (BED), please know this: you are not alone, and recovery is possible. Behind closed doors, millions of people experience the same painful cycle of restriction, bingeing, shame, and promises to "do better tomorrow." What many don't realise is that working with a specialised dietitian can be crucial in breaking this cycle.
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder, yet it remains shrouded in secrecy and shame. Many people suffer in silence for years, believing they simply lack willpower or self-control. The truth is far more complex.
Binge eating is not a character flaw, moral failing, or lack of willpower. It's a response to physical and emotional needs that aren't being met in other ways. Understanding this is the first step toward healing.
Contrary to popular belief, binge eating often begins with restriction. You start a new diet, you cut out certain food groups, you set unrealistic and rigid food rules and just like that you’ve set yourself up for a biological response to restriction which is to eat. Your body is smart and wants to try really hard to keep you alive but your body is unable to differentiate between self imposed restriction (aka a diet) and a famine situation (where you are unable to access enough food). Therefore your body perceives restriction as a threat to survival and responds with powerful hunger cues and food preoccupation. Next thing you know, you've had another binge, the one thing you wanted to avoid, the reason why you set the food rules in the first place. Frustrating right?
An eating disorder dietitian can help you recognise these patterns and develop a regular, adequate eating pattern that includes all foods without judgment with no more dieting. This might feel counterintuitive at first, eating more regularly to reduce bingeing? But it works because it addresses the biological driver of binge eating.
Food is comforting. It's one of the first ways we experience soothing as infants, and it remains a powerful emotional tool throughout life. When uncomfortable emotions arise – stress, loneliness, boredom, anger – food can provide temporary relief. Now, there is nothing wrong with using food to self-soothe or cope with uncomfortable emotions or decompress after a hard day but you don’t want food to be your only tool in your tool box.
A dietitian works alongside therapists to help you develop awareness of emotional eating patterns and build a toolbox of alternative coping strategies. They don't shame you for emotional eating (which is a normal human behaviour) but help you expand your options for self-care.
Many people with BED have lost touch with their body's natural hunger and fullness cues. Years of dieting, inconsistent eating, and using food to cope can disconnect you from these internal signals.
Dietitians skilled in intuitive eating principles help you rediscover and trust your body's wisdom. Through mindful eating practices and gentle nutrition guidance, you can learn to recognise subtle hunger cues, eat with awareness, and stop when comfortably satisfied for the most part (because remember that eating past comfortable fullness at times is a normal part of a healthy relationship with food) – not stuffed or still hungry.
If you've struggled with BED, you've likely been caught in cycles of weight loss attempts followed by weight regain. This is not your fault – it's the predictable outcome of restriction-based approaches.
Research consistently shows that 95% of intentional weight loss efforts result in weight regain within 2-5 years, often leaving people heavier than when they started (Mann et al., 2007; Fildes et al., 2015).
A systematic review by Tylka et al. (2014) found that weight-neutral approaches lead to improvements in eating behaviours, psychological outcomes, and health indicators comparable to or better than weight-focused interventions – without the negative side effects often associated with dieting.
A skilled dietitian will take a weight-neutral approach, focusing on behaviours and wellbeing rather than the number on the scale. This might include:
A dietitian specialised in eating disorders will begin by understanding your unique history with food, body, and eating patterns. They'll ask about your medical history, current eating behaviours, food rules, and the role food plays in your life.
If you have had experiences working with a dietitian before, you may be surprised (and relieved) to experience the slower pace of how our dietitians at Exhale work. We truly understand that there are multiple factors that affect your relationship with food and your body and understanding each of these is important in supporting you in your recovery.
Together, you'll develop a structured, flexible eating plan that ensures you're getting adequate nutrition throughout the day. This isn't a restrictive diet – it's a framework that prevents the biological triggers for bingeing.
Through guided exposure, your dietitian helps you reintroduce "feared foods" in a supportive, structured way. This process neutralises the power these foods have over you, reducing their ability to trigger binges.
Your dietitian provides a space to explore body image concerns and work toward body acceptance – not because your body needs to be accepted, but because you deserve peace in the body you have right now.
It’s not uncommon for people to feel fearful of working with a dietitian, due to past negative experiences or shame about their eating or body. Dietitians who are skilled in supporting people living with eating disorders understand that while uncomfortable your eating disorder has served a purpose. They will meet you with compassion and respect.
Recovery works best with a team approach. Your dietitian will collaborate with therapists, physicians, and other providers to ensure comprehensive care.
Look for a registered dietitian with specialised training in eating disorders who practices from a Health at Every Size® (HAES) perspective. Ask about their approach to BED specifically, and whether they focus on behaviour change rather than weight loss.
Remember that the therapeutic relationship matters enormously. You deserve a dietitian who makes you feel safe, understood, and empowered in your recovery journey.
Recovery from binge eating disorder doesn't happen overnight, but with the right support, it is absolutely possible. Working with a dietitian can help you transform your relationship with food from one of fear, shame, and conflict to one of nourishment, pleasure, and peace.
Your worth has never been determined by what or how you eat. You deserve compassionate, evidence-based care that helps you heal your relationship with food and your body – not another diet that perpetuates the cycle.
If you're ready to explore recovery, reaching out to a specialised dietitian could be your next brave step forward.
Fildes, A., Charlton, J., Rudisill, C., Littlejohns, P., Prevost, A. T., & Gulliford, M. C. (2015). Probability of an obese person attaining normal body weight: Cohort study using electronic health records. American Journal of Public Health, 105(9), e54-e59.
Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A. M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare's search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. American Psychologist, 62(3), 220-233.
Tylka, T. L., Annunziato, R. A., Burgard, D., Daníelsdóttir, S., Shuman, E., Davis, C., & Calogero, R. M. (2014). The weight-inclusive versus weight-normative approach to health: Evaluating the evidence for prioritising well-being over weight loss. Journal of Obesity, 2014, 983495.
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