Hello. I joined this group in hopes of questioning as to whether my
friend in his late 20's may have BED. He is married, on a road to
career success, likeable and liked by nearly everyone and at six foot
three and about 195 pounds he is of of average weight. Outside of a
healthy diet where he consumes relatively large amounts of healthy
foods at meals composed of chicken, turkey, nuts yogurt and grains
and the like(in similar amounts to what a hungry, growing adolescent
male would consume, he has described to me having eaten an entire
home made cobbler at the age of eight to the point of being ill from
the excess. Other similar episodes were described during his youth.
Over the last seven years that I have known him, he has described to
me the following: While picking apples in an orchard with his
girlfriend, eating so many fruits that he nearly became ill. Eating
an entire bag of corn chips and a large quantity of dip to the point
of feeling ill. Eating an entire bag of dried fruit to the point of
feeling ill and similar circumstances with other foods. He has not
described shame or guilt about these episodes. In fact, he speaks
openly and laughs and jokes about them with myself and others. He
describes doing this only with foods that he likes...perhaps once or
twice per month (often less) but being unable to stop until the food
is gone. He also says his girlfriend is always pulling food out of
his hands at home. Outside of these relatively rare episodes of
overeating a favorite item, he keeps his weight in line by eating
healthfully. Though relatively well adjusted by anyone's standards,
he did suffer from emotional and some physical abuse from one parent
but love and affection from the other. Is this a guy with an eating
disorder or or just a guy with a gluttonous appetite for foods for
which he has a weakness? Or, as may be likely true for many
people...is he a guy with a relatively slight eating disorder? I'd be
interested as to your insights.