[Medical Q&A] Is overeating a mental illness?

Author: Fan Qinyi, Chief Physician, Harbin First Specialist Hospital

Reviewer: Xu Zhaoyuan, Chief Physician, Harbin No. 1 Specialist Hospital

Bulimia is a psychosomatic disease that is more common in young women. It is a type of disease characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating. It is mainly manifested by recurrent, uncontrollable, and impulsive binge eating, without vomiting, exercise, or other compensatory behaviors. Bulimia patients often fall into binge eating, then feel very regretful, and then cannot extricate themselves due to emotional problems, entering a vicious cycle of binge eating again. Bulimia patients often experience digestive system complications, ranging from nausea, abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion to severe acute gastrointestinal dilatation and acute pancreatitis. Due to rapid weight gain, obesity-related complications occur, such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea syndrome, and severe obesity may even lead to congestive heart failure.

Bulimia is a psychosomatic disease. The principle of treatment is to treat both the mind and the body. The goal of treatment is not only to reduce or stop binge eating behavior, but also to treat the patient's physical health and help them restore their mental and physical health so that they can better return to society.