Sibutramine Helpful for Binge Disorder
The medication sibutramine made a real splash when it hit the market as Meridia, a weight-loss treatment for medically overweight patients. Now it appears there's even more it can do.
I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, with Get The Skinny on your health
New data show that sibutramine, originally investigated as an anti-depressant, is also particularly effective for people with binge eating disorder. The disorder is characterized by frequent episodes of eating large amounts of food triggered by emotional stress.
Most medically overweight patients don't have binge eating disorder, and many people with the disorder are not medically overweight. But among my own overweight patients who do have it, I've observed that they respond better to behavioral therapy when aided by sibutramine.
This new study bears that out. It showed that over a 12-week period, patients who took sibutramine reduced their binging behaviors by half. They also lost an average of 16 pounds, compared to the control group, which actually had a slight weight gain.
That's just a little extra help for doctors - and their patients - to consider.
Binge Eating Disorder
Most people who are overweight feel some emotional discomfort about it. But there are those for whom their weight is as much a complication of an emotional upset as it is the cause of one.
I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, giving you the Skinny on Your Health.
People with eating disorders need special care most overweight people don't need. They have problems most overweight people don't have. Yet new research on binge eating disorder shows that few with this problem seek care for it. And as their special needs go untreated, their overall health care costs rise.
That's not unique to eating disorders. When virtually any medical needs are ignored or left untreated, they inevitably lead to greater needs and higher costs later.
With binge eaters, the usual reasons for not seeking care - lack of access or inability to pay - are also compounded by the patients' own confusion and deep personal shame about their uncontrolled eating episodes.
They need compassion and encouragement to seek care, because their disorder is very treatable, if treatment is sought. And once their underlying psychological issues are addressed, there's so much more hope of overcoming their physical ones.
Bulimia & Binge Eating Are Hard To Identify
While both bulimia and binge eating are hard to identify because these are hidden behaviors, those close to people with these eating disorders may recognize that something is amiss, even if they can't put their finger on it, or catch the person in the act.
You can often tell if someone has a healthy relationship with food or not. You might not always be able to do something about it, but bulimics and bingers can respond well to intervention and therapy, and like anyone, they can always benefit from compassion and support.
To read the complete Bulimia & Binge Eating story click here.
Is it possible to have a normal relationship with food?
Do you sometimes feel like food is the enemy? If you're overweight, the odds are high that you view food with deep suspicion. But even if you're not overweight, you might have the same dim view. Many normal weighted people do.
Defining food as the enemy can only lead to unhappiness and problems, according to obesity experts. When you think about it, it's to your advantage to put a friendly face on food because you can't get away from it. You need food to live. Food is energy and is the fuel that runs our bodies. Food is a necessity - without it we become ill and eventually cease to live. Wanting to eat and needing to eat is not a judgment call, it's part of being human.
To read the complete Is it possible to have normal relationship with food story click here.
