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In binge-eating disorder, a person eats an abnormally large quantity of food within a 2-hour period and feels unable to control the eating behavior. To meet DSM-IV criteria, the binge eating must occur at least 2 days a week for 3 months, and the patient must eat more rapidly than normal, eat despite not feeling hungry or feeling uncomfortably full, feel embarrassed to be seen eating, and feel guilty after overeating. Patients are often markedly distressed about the binges. Binge eating, which mostly affects women, taxes patients' organ systems and negatively affects their weight, self-esteem, and social relationships.
Although there is no established treatment for binge-eating disorder, SSRIs have shown promise in treating bulimia, which sh…