Types

Purging Type:

During the episode, the person has regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.

Nonpurging Type:

During the episode the person has used other inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as fasting, excessive exercise w/o purging behaviors.

Criteria

• Binge Eating on a regular basis. Binge eating is characterized by:
  • Eating, in a discrete period of time, an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances.
  • A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g. a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)
• Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain:
  • Self-induced vomiting
  • Misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications
  • Fasting
  • Excessive exercise
• Frequency: the binge eating and purging both occur, on average, or at least twice a week for three months.
• Body image issues: Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight (i.e. making your weight the only thing you judge yourself on)