Binge Eating (Disorder) Treatment & Finding A Provider

Prevention | Medications | Psychological Treatments | Nutrition Counselling | When To Seek Support | Who To Seek Support From | First Appointment | Full Recovery | Helping A Loved One

Related Articles:
What is Binge Eating & Binge Eating Disorder(BED)? Causes & Diagnosis
Binge Eating Resources & Support

Prevention: Can Binge Eating Be Prevented?

While we can't prevent all cases of BED, research has identified protective strategies that may reduce risk, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Personal Prevention

• Avoid dieting: Given that restriction and dieting are major risk factors for binge eating, avoiding restrictive diets is one of the most important preventive strategies.(1-3) Instead of dieting, focus on eating adequately and consistently throughout the day.
• Develop diverse coping strategies: Learn multiple ways to manage difficult emotions beyond eating. This might include journaling, talking to friends, movement, creative expression, mindfulness, or professional therapy.
• Challenge diet culture messages: Develop critical awareness of media messages about bodies and food. Recognise that diet culture profits from your insecurity and is not actually about health.
• Practice body acceptance: Work toward accepting your body as it is, which doesn't mean you have to love everything about it, but treating it with respect and recognizing its inherent worth.
• Maintain regular eating patterns: Eating consistently throughout the day (typically three meals and snacks as needed) helps prevent the biological deprivation that can trigger binge eating.
• Practice flexible eating: Allowing yourself all foods without rigid rules reduces the forbidden fruit effect that drives binge eating.

Family Prevention 

• Avoid weight talk: Parents and caregivers should avoid commenting on children's weight, bodies, or food intake in ways that create shame or pressure.(4)
• Model balanced eating: Demonstrate flexible, attuned eating rather than dieting or rigid food rules.
• Create positive mealtime environments: Make family meals pleasant, connected times without pressure about what or how much to eat.
• Don't use food as reward or punishment: This creates unhealthy emotional associations with food.
• Address bullying immediately: If a child experiences weight-based teasing or bullying, intervene quickly and provide emotional support.
• Teach emotion regulation: Help children develop age-appropriate ways to identify and cope with feelings.

Community Prevention

• Implement eating disorder prevention programs: Evidence-based programs like Body Project have shown effectiveness in reducing eating disorder risk.(5)
• Create weight-inclusive environments: Schools, workplaces, and communities should avoid weight-based discrimination and promote health at every size.
• Improve access to mental health services: Early intervention for anxiety, depression, and trauma can prevent the development of eating disorders.
• Address food insecurity: Ensuring consistent access to adequate nutrition reduces risk of binge eating patterns.(6)

Healthcare Prevention 

• Screen regularly for eating disorders: Healthcare providers should routinely screen patients for disordered eating, regardless of body size.
• Avoid weight-focused interventions: Healthcare providers should avoid prescribing weight loss diets, especially to young people, given the risk of triggering eating disorders.
• Provide early intervention: When warning signs of binge eating appear, early intervention can prevent progression to full BED.

While prevention efforts are important, remember that developing BED is never your fault, even if you didn't have access to these protective factors. If you struggle with BED, seeking early treatment and recovery support is more helpful than thinking what you could have done differently.

How Is Binge Eating & BED Treated?

The good news is that binge eating disorder is highly treatable, with multiple evidence-based treatment approaches available. Most people can recover from BED with appropriate treatment and support.(7)

BED is complext condition requires input from multiple health professionals. It's considered that a core care team should include:

• The person struggle with binge eating 
• Family, friends and/or carers
• Medical practitioner (GP, Psychiatrist)
• Mental health professionals (psychologist, therapist)
• Dietitian that is specialised in eating disorder
• Other health professionals to help managing complications and improve quality of life

Medications & Supplements

While therapy is the primary treatment for BED, medication can be a helpful addition for some people—particularly those with severe symptoms or co-occurring mental health conditions.

Important disclaimer: Medication is not a solution on its own for BED, but rather an aid that can support other treatments. Medication should always be prescribed and monitored by a qualified healthcare provider. 

• Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse): This is the only medication specifically approved by the FDA for moderate to severe BED.(8) It's a stimulant medication (also used for ADHD) that appears to reduce binge eating frequency. Common side effects include decreased appetite, dry mouth, insomnia, and increased heart rate. Due to its stimulant properties, it requires careful monitoring. 
• Antidepressants (SSRIs): Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like fluoxetine, sertraline, and escitalopram may help reduce binge eating by decreasing obsessive thoughts, particularly if you also have depression or anxiety.(9) Side effect include decreased sex drive, constipation, rash, restlessness, and some case report increasing suicidal thoughts
• Topiramate: This anti-seizure medication helps stabilising mood and may help reduce frequency of binge eating, though it's not FDA-approved for this use.(10) Side effects can include decreased memory, confusion, dizziness, slowed thinking and change in taste.
• GLP-1 receptor agonists: Medications like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and liraglutide work by regulating appetite and slowing stomach emptying.(11) Some research suggests they may reduce binge eating by decreasing appetite and food cravings. However, research specifically on their use for BED is limited, and it doesn't tackle the deeper cause of binge eating. And there are increasing concerns about what happens when people stop these medications.
• Other medications: Depending on co-occurring conditions, your doctor might prescribe medications for anxiety, mood stabilisation, or other mental health concerns that may indirectly help with BED.
• There's no supplement that helps with BED, supplement use during treatment are to correct nutritional deficiency rather than treating binge eating.

Considerations about medication:

• Medication works best when combined with therapy and nutritional counseling
• Not everyone benefits from medication, and it's not necessary for recovery
• Any medication decision should be made collaboratively with your healthcare provider
• Be cautious of medications prescribed primarily for weight loss, as weight-focused treatment can worsen eating disorders
• Medication can be particularly helpful in early treatment to reduce binge frequency enough that you can engage in therapy

Psychological treatments

Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E):

CBT-E is the most extensively researched treatment that are specifically designed for eating disorders, including BED. (12) It typically includes:

• Identifying and challenging thoughts that maintain binge eating and compensatory behaviours if present
• Establshing regular eating patterns
• Developing strategies to manage triggers
• Learning to cope with emotions without using food
• Addressing body image concerns
• Preventing relapse

CBT-E typically lasts 16-20 sessions over several months. However, it's not garanteed it will lead to recovery - due to its complex psycho-social context, it often requires more input from multiple health providers

Family-Based Therapy (FBT): 

For children and adolescent whose meal provisions are not independent, family based therapy (FBT) may be recommended. (13) Family-based therapy involves carers as an active role in interrupting binge eating patterns while helping the individual develops autonomy. It involves of 3 stages:

• Medical stabilisation and weight restoration
• Restoring control of eating to the young person
• Returning to normal adolescent development

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT):

DBT was originally developed for borderline personality disorder but has been adapted for eating disorders, including BED.(14) DBT focuses on:

• Mindfulness skills to increase awareness of eating
• Emotion regulation strategies to manage feelings without binge eating
• Distress tolerance skills for coping with urges
• Interpersonal effectiveness to improve relationships

DBT skills can be particularly helpful to manage intense emotions, impulsivity, strong urges and harmful behaviours (purging).

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT):

IPT focuses on improving interpersonal relationships and addressing life problems, based on the understanding that interpersonal difficulties can trigger and maintain binge eating.(15) IPT doesn't focus directly on eating behaviors but addresses:

• Role transitions (like divorce, job loss, becoming a parent)
• Interpersonal disputes and relationship conflicts
• Grief and loss
• Interpersonal deficits and isolation

Research suggests IPT can be as effective as CBT for BED, though it may take slightly longer to see results.(16)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):

ACT helps you develop psychological flexibility—the ability to be present with difficult thoughts and feelings without acting on them.(17) For BED, ACT involves:

• Accepting urges to binge without acting on them
• Clarifying your values and what matters to you
• Taking action aligned with your values, even when it's uncomfortable
• Defusing from unhelpful thoughts about food and body

Internal Family System (IFS):

IFS is a parts-based therapeutic model that views the mind as made up of distinct “parts” (e.g., protective, critical, or exiled) and a core Self that can guide healing with compassion and curiosity. (18) In BED treatment, IFS helps clients:

• Identify and understand parts driving binge urges (e.g., protectors soothing distress through food)

• Build a Self-led, compassionate relationship with inner parts

• Heal shame, trauma, and self-criticism underlying binge behaviors

Early evidence and clinical applications suggest IFS can reduce internal conflict, increase emotional regulation, and support long-term recovery in BED. (19)

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT): 

EFT focuses on increasing awareness, acceptance, and transformation of emotions, helping clients respond to feelings adaptively rather than avoiding them through binge eating. (3) EFT for BED helps clients:

• Identify and differentiate primary vs. secondary emotions

• Reduce emotional avoidance and shame

• Develop new coping responses to distress

Pilot trials suggests EFT can reduce binge frequency and improve emotion regulation, with outcomes maintained at follow-up. (20)

There are many treatment modalities to support BED and binge eating recovery. Clinicians today often adopt an integrative approach, tailoring interventions by drawing from multiple modalities to match the individual’s unique needs, psychological profile, and treatment goals. This personalized approach reflects growing evidence that flexibility and client-centered care improve treatment adherence and long-term outcomes. (21)

Nutrition Counselling

Working with a eating disorder trained dietitian particularly trained in non-diet approach, is a crucial component of BED treatment

What a dietitian help with:

• Support/faciliate CBT-E or FBT: CBT-E and FBT requires dietitians' support to tackle challenges moving towards 'normative' eating, and many specialised dietitian are trained in these modalities
• Establishing regular eating patterns: Creating consistent meal and snack times to reduce biological hunger that triggers binges
• Challenging food rules: Identifying and gradually letting go of rigid rules about "good" and "bad" foods
• Nutritional rehabilitation: Ensuring adequate nutrition, which is essential for both physical and mental health
• Understanding hunger and fullness: Learning to recognize and respond to body signals
• Meal planning and preparation: Practical support for planning and preparing satisfying meals
• Addressing nutritional deficiencies: If present, working to restore nutritional balance
• Managing medical conditions: Adapting eating patterns for conditions like diabetes while avoiding restriction
• Gentle nutrition: Eventually incorporating nutrition information in a non-diet, compassionate way
• Working alongside the rest of your care team

Based on individual practitioner's training, a specialised dietitian may also provide support around:

• Understanding and responding to your trigger: Identifying emotional, situational, or physical triggers for binge eating, and developing personalised strategies to respond with care rather than control.

• Body image distress: Exploring the beliefs, emotions, and experiences that shape how you feel about your body, and developing tools for body respect and acceptance.

• Mindful eating: Learning to eat with awareness and presence, reconnecting with taste, texture, and satisfaction without guilt or fear.

• Self-compassion: Building a kinder, more supportive inner voice to replace shame and self-criticism.

• Relapse prevention: Developing long-term tools to navigate challenges, triggers, and transitions to reduce risk of relapse

• Drawing techniques and skills from other modalities e.g. DBT, ACT and IFS: Using evidence-based approaches support developing emotional coping skills, acceptance, unhooking from unhelpful thoughts and emotions and utilising the "parts" to make peace with yourself that includence eating behaviours.

Other Health Professionals May Be Helpful: 

• Occupational Therapist (OT): Helps build daily routines, life skills, and practical strategies to manage eating behaviours.

• Physiotherapist / Exercise Physiologist: Guides safe, body-affirming physical activity while managing possible health condition or functional limitations.

• Psychiatrist: Assesses and manages any co-occurring mental health conditions and, if appropriate, prescribes medication.

• Speech Pathologist: Supports swallowing, oral-motor issues, or sensory-related eating difficulties.

• Social Worker / Case Manager: Connects clients with resources, support networks, and helps navigate complex care systems.

• Mindfulness or Yoga Practitioner (complementary): Teaches techniques to reduce stress, improve body awareness, and support emotional regulation.

What Does Effective Treatment Look Like?

Effective BED treatment is:

• Individualised: Tailored to your specific needs, circumstances, and co-occurring conditions
• Multidisciplinary: Often involves a team of providers working together
• Addresses root causes: Goes beyond just stopping binge eating to address underlying factors
• Non weight-focused: Doesn't make weight loss a goal, as this typically worsens eating disorders
• Trauma-informed: If trauma is present, uses approaches that are sensitive to trauma history
• Evidence-based: Uses treatments that research has shown to be effective
• Compassionate: Treats you with respect and without judgment

Recovery from BED is absolutely possible with appropriate treatment. Studies show that with treatment, about 50-70% of people with BED achieve remission (no longer meeting diagnostic criteria).(7)

When to Seek Support: Recognising Warning Signs

Early intervention can greatly improve treatment outcome and reduce treatment duration and costs. However, seeking support can be challenging, especially in a stigmatising culture. And the underrecognised harm and symptoms of binge eating can lead to thoughts of "not sick enough", hence, it's important to recognise the warning signs

Behavioural warning signs:

• Eating large amounts of food in short periods, feeling unable to stop
• Eating in secret or hiding food
• Eating when not physically hungry or past the point of fullness
• Preoccupation with food or spending significant time thinking about eating
• Avoiding social situations that involve food
• Making excuses to eat alone
• Frequent trips to the grocery store for binge foods

Emotional warning signs:

• Intense shame, guilt, or disgust after eating
• Using food as your primary way to cope with emotions
• Feeling out of control around food
• Anxiety or distress about eating in front of others
• Depression, withdrawal, or isolation
• Declining self-esteem or worsening body image

Physical warning signs:

• Frequent stomach pain, bloating, or digestive issues
• Unexplained weight fluctuations
• Fatigue or low energy
• Sleep disturbances
• Physical discomfort or pain after eating

Impact on life:

• Your eating patterns are interfering with work, school, or relationships
• You're spending significant money on food for binges
• You're avoiding social activities because of eating concerns
• Your quality of life is declining

You Don't Need to Wait Until It's "Bad Enough"

A common barrier to seeking help is feeling like your symptoms aren't "bad enough" to get 'serious' treatment. This is a harmful misconception. If your eating is causing you distress or affecting your life, you deserve support—regardless of:

• How frequently you binge
• Your body size
• Whether you meet full diagnostic criteria for BED
• How long you've been experiencing symptoms
• Whether you think it's "worse" than someone else's experience

Early intervention is actually easier and more effective than waiting until symptoms are severe. You don't need to hit rock bottom to deserve help.

If you're wondering whether you should seek help, that wondering is itself a sign that support could be beneficial. Most people don't question whether they need help unless something feels wrong. Trust your instincts. 

Many specialist therapists and dietitians (including us) offer free discovery calls before commencing a treatment. These calls are used to help you understand if support is right for you and whether you feel connected with the clinician's approach. (Book a clarity call with our BED specialist dietitian HERE)

Who to Seek Support From?

Knowing where to start when seeking help can feel overwhelming. Here's a guide to different types of support.

Starting point - GP:

• Your GP or family doctor is the most accessible starting point. They can:
• Screen for BED using a validated tool
• Rule out other medical conditions
• Refer you to specialists 
• Coordinate your care team

Note: if you practitioners 'think' you are 'not that bad', but you experience distress and disruption from your eating, it's worth to get a second opinion from a practitioner that has disordered eating and eating disorder training. Not that you practitioners are 'wrong', but the current medical system do not provide enough education and support to non-specialised health practitioners to navigate "non-typical" disordered eating.

Eating Disorder Helplines

Many countries have specialised eating disorder helplines where trained counsellors can provide immediate support and offer information about apporpriate resources and treatment options:

• Australia:
  • Butterfly Foundations National Helpline: 1800 334 673 | butterfly.org.au
  • State eating disorder services
• New Zealand
  • Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand (EDANZ) Helpline: 0800 2 33269 | ed.org.nz
• US
  • National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline: 1-800-931-2237 | nationaleatingdisorders.org
  • National Alliance for Eating Disorder Helpline: 1-866-662-1235 | allianceforeatingdisorders.com
• Canada
  • National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) Helpline: 1-866-633-4220 | nedic.ca
• UK
  • Beat Eating Disorders Helpline: 0808 801 0677 (Adults) | 0808 801 0711 (Under 18s) | beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Look for a specialist:

• Australia & New Zealand:
  • Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) - Look for a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician: connected.anzaed.org.au
  • InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders - Treatment Services Database: insideoutinstitute.org.au 
• US
  • National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) - Treatment Directory: nationaleatingdisorderns.org
• Canada
  • National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) - Find a Provider: nedic.ca
• UK
  • Beat Eating Disorders - Support In My Area: beateatingdisorders.org.uk

What to look out for

• Have specific trainings in eating disorder and experience with BED
• For therapists: use an evidence-based treatment (CBT. DBT, IPT, etc.)
• Take a collaborative approach: They can work alongside with other health professionals to provide care centred around you
• HAES (Health At Every Size) practitioner (may market as practising in a non-diet or weight-neutral approach)
• Are compassionate and non-judgemental
• Honour your lived & living experience: not just treating your condition, but to hear your story and support how to live your life at its fullest
• Make you feel heard and respected (many therapists and dietitians offers free discovery call so you can suss it out, otherwisem send an email enquire about their approach and talk about your struggles to get a vibe check)

Bonus if they are

• You feel connected with them (this might from shared experience, cultural or racial identities)
• Trauma-informed: which means how past can impact your eating, and prevent re-traumatising
• Neurodivergent-affirming and gender-affirming if you require this format of care
• Mind-body aware: may integrate somatic or mindfulness techniques
• Have training around body image healing
• Supportive of building self-compassion, body acceptance, and mindful eating habit

What If You Can't Access Specialised Treatment?

Not everyone has access to eating disorder specialists due to location, cost, or availability. If you're in this situation:

• Start with who you have access to: A general therapist or psychologist can still provide valuable support, especially if they're willing to learn about BED
• Use self-help resources: Evidence-based self-help books and workbooks can be beneficial (see our resources article)
• Consider telehealth: Many eating disorder specialists now offer virtual sessions, expanding access
• Join support groups: Peer support can be valuable, though it shouldn't replace professional treatment
• Work with your GP: They can monitor your health and provide support while you wait for specialist treatment

Making the First Appointment

Going for the first appointment can often be scary due to the secretive nature of binge eating. Here are some tips to keep you calrm and make the most out of your first appointment:

• Prepare what you want to mention: it's easy to get carried away and forget some symptoms and concerns. Write a quick list of your experience, concerns and questions before the appointment. You may show this to your clinician too, they will be very appreciative
• Be oddly honest: Providers can provide the best help when they know what you're experiencing and your thoughts and feelings. The shame might make you want to minimise your symptoms or go with whatever the provider suggest. Clinicians will be grateful if you being honest about your symptoms or tell them certain part of treatment doesn't feel right for you - so it can be tailored for you.
• Ask questions: It's okay to ask about their experience treating BED, their treatment approach, and what to expect. 
• Advocate for yourself: If a provider is dismissive, blames you, or focuses only on weight, it's okay to seek a different provider.
• Bring support: If it helps, bring a trusted friend or family member to the appointment.

Remember - seeking help is a sign of strength. You deserve support no matter what stage you are at, and recovery is possible

What Does Full Recovery Look Like?

Full recovery will look different for different people, and you might have a treatment goal of food freedom, or just managing the binge eating urges, or anything in between - all are valid recovery goals. The following just shows what's possible from research and clinical experience

Freedom from binge eating - absence of out of control episodes

• You no longer experience loss of control around food
• You can eat all foods without fear of binge eating
• Eating large amounts on occasion (like at celebrations) happens mindfully and without distress
• You feel in control of your eating choices

A peaceful relationship with food - food is no longer the centre of your life

• You can enjoy eating without guilt or shame
• You don't spend excessive time thinking about food
• You can have formerly "trigger" foods in your home without anxiety
• Eating is satisfying and nourishing rather than distressing
• You trust yourself around food

Effective emotional coping - diverse way to manage emotions

• You recognise emotional eating urges but have choices about how to respond
• You can tolerate uncomfortable emotions without immediately turning to food
• You have a toolkit of coping strategies that work for you
• You understand that occasional emotional eating is normal and doesn't mean you've failed

Improved body image and self-esteem - body neutrality and disconnect body image with self-worth

• Greater body acceptance and respect
• Self-worth that isn't dependent on body size or eating
• Reduced body checking or avoidance behaviors
• Ability to engage in life regardless of body concerns
• Recognition that your body deserves care at any size

Enhanced quality of life - getting your life back

• You can participate in social activities involving food without anxiety
• Your relationships improve as secrecy decreases
• You have energy and attention for work, hobbies, and relationships
• You feel present in your life rather than consumed by food thoughts
• Your overall well-being and life satisfaction improve

Physical health improvement - reduced symptoms or increased positive signs & symptoms

• Reduced gastrointestinal distress
• More stable energy levels
• Improved sleep
• Better overall physical health markers

What recovery doesn't neccessarily mean

• Never overeating again: Occasional overeating is normal human behavior
• Loving your body all the time: Body neutrality (treating your body with respect even when you don't love it) is sufficient
• Never thinking about food: Having preferences and enjoying food is healthy
• Reaching a particular weight: Recovery happens at any body size
• Perfect eating: Flexible, varied eating is the goal, as 'perfect eating' often a trip to eating disorder

The recovery process

Recovery isn't linear. During recovery process, most people will experience:

• Periods of progress interspersed with setbacks: This is normal and doesn't mean you're failing, you can consider this as a periodic test on trialling out your learned strategies
• Gradual improvement over time: Recovery usually takes months to years, not weeks (estimated average recovery timeline is 7 years, but many can get better in 1 year, and gradually working towards full recovery)
• Different aspects improving at different rates: Behavioural symptoms might change before psychological ones, or vice versa
• Learning and growth: Recovery involves developing new skills and self-understanding

Partial/quasi recovery

Even if you don't achieve complete freedom from all symptoms, significant improvement is possible and valuable:

• Reduced frequency and severity of binge episodes
• Better ability to cope with urges
• Improved quality of life and functioning
• Greater self-compassion and reduced shame

Any movement toward recovery, or maintaining the current progress is worthwhile and valuable, even if it's not "complete" by textbook definition.

Maintaining recovery

Relapse is common 1-2 years post-treatment, so it's important to develop strategies to prevent relapse during treatment and continue practising them after:

• Continued self-care and self-awareness: Noticing early warning signs if they appear
• Maintaining helpful practices: Keeping regular eating patterns, using coping skills
• Ongoing therapy or support if needed: Check-ins with providers can prevent relapse
• Self-compassion: Treating yourself kindly if symptoms resurface
• Life in alignment with values: Living in ways that matter to you

Long-term recovery and full recovery from BED is absolutely possible, regardless of your age, duration in binge eating or past 'failure' in treatment. Research shows that many people achieve lasting recovery with appropriate treatment and support.(7) If you're currently struggling, know that freedom from binge eating and a peaceful relationship with food are achievable goals.

Helping A Loved One with BED

Educate yourself

If you are reading this article to support someone with BED, you are already making a great first step. Having an understanding of binge eating helps recognise that it is a serious mental health conditions, instead of a choice. This set the foundation and open the door to avoid making unhelpful comments and unsolicited advice, respond wtih care and compassion and know what professional help is available and helpful.

Express concerns compassionately

It can be difficult to see a loved on to struggle with disordered eating and express your concerns without backfires. And here are some tips:

• Choose the right time and place: private, calm setting where you won't be interrupted or rushed
• Use "I" and point out objective facts instead of judgement: "I've noticed you seem stressed around food, and I'm worried about you" instead of "you have a problem with food"
• Be specific about your observations: rather than labelling or telling someone "you might have binge eating disorder", try "I've noticed you seems upset after eating" "I'm concerned because you've been stressed after social events"
• Express care, not making judgement or form diagnosis: Emphasise that you are expressing your concern because you care, not a criticism.
• Listen more than you speak: Give them sapce to share their experience without giving an advice. Silence may happens, but allow time for them to process and verbalise their concerns
• Offer support instead of suggest support: Emphasise "I'm here for you", "How can I support you?" or "Do you want to get support?" instead of "you need to see a doctor"
• Suggest professional help: Gently recommend speaking with a trained professionals that specialises in eating disorder as the binge eating have a tendency to utilise this opportunity to seek out weight loss treatment or other support that make binge eating strive.

What to do 

• Believe and validate their experience: If they open up to you, believe them. BED is real and painful.
• Avoid weight or food talk: Don't comment on their body, weight, or food choices—even if you think it's positive or helpful.
• Be patient: Recovery takes time. There will be ups and downs.
• Encourage professional help: Offer to help them find providers, make appointments, or accompany them if they want.
• Continue inviting them to activities: Even if they decline social invitations, continue extending them. Social connection is important.
• Take care of yourself: Supporting someone with an eating disorder can be emotionally demanding. Make sure you're also getting support.
• Celebrate non-appearance-based qualities: Compliment their kindness, humor, creativity, intelligence—not their appearance.
• Model flexible eating: If appropriate, demonstrate balanced, enjoyable eating without rigid rules.

What NOT to do

• Don't police their eating: Monitoring, commenting on, or controlling what they eat will likely worsen the problem.
• Don't give simple solutions: "Just eat normally" or "Just stop bingeing" isn't helpful. If it were that simple, they would have already done it.
• Don't make it about weight: Whether they're in a larger or smaller body, don't focus on weight as the problem or solution.
• Don't compare: "Well, everyone overeats sometimes" minimizes their experience of loss of control.
• Don't take it personally: If they're secretive or withdraw, understand this is their binge eating keeping them captured, not about you.
• Don't enable binge eating: While you shouldn't police eating, you also don't need to actively facilitate binge episodes (like making special trips to buy binge foods at their request).
• Don't force recovery: You can encourage and support, but you can't make someone recover. They have to want it for themselves.
• Don't give up: Even if they're not ready for help now, your continued support matters.

If they are resistant to help

It's common for people with BED to resist seeking help due to shame, fear, or not feeling "sick enough." If this happens:

• Don't force it: Pushing too hard can cause them to shut down further
• Leave the door open: Let them know you're available when they're ready to talk
• Plant seeds: Share information about BED and treatment without pressure
• Take care of immediate health concerns: If there are urgent medical issues, encourage medical care even if they're not ready for eating disorder treatment
• Consider professional guidance: A therapist or eating disorder specialist can advise you on how to approach the situation
• Support without enabling: You can offer emotional support while maintaining boundaries

Supporting someone through recovery 

• Respect their privacy: Don't pry for details unless they want to share
• Trust their treatment team: Don't undermine what providers are recommending
• Avoid diet talk in the home and in different setting: You may want to faciliate conversation to not talk about weight, size, appearance, diet, or healthy/bad foods.
• Don't comprimise with binge eating: If you are a parent to a child with BED, stand firm on how often and how much they need to eat, while expressing you do so because you care.
• Be flexible and understanding: They may need to change plans, miss events, stop exercising, or prioritise treatment
• Acknowledge effort: Recovery is hard work—recognise their courage
• Don't expect linear progress: Setbacks are part of recovery, not failure
• Ask how you can help: Rather than assuming, ask what would be most supportive

Taking care of yourself 

Supporting someone with BED can be emotionally challenging. Make sure you:

• Have your own support system
• Consider therapy for yourself if needed
• Set appropriate boundaries
• Recognize what you can and cannot control
• Practice self-compassion

Your support matters, but remember that you're not responsible for their recovery—that's their journey with professional support. What you can do is create an environment of compassion, acceptance, and encouragement.

Key takeaways

• BED is a treatable mental health condition, not a character flaw. With appropriate treatment, 50-70% of people achieve remission using evidence-based therapies.
• You don't need to wait until it's "bad enough" to seek help. If your eating patterns cause distress or affect your life, you deserve support—early intervention is easier and more effective.
• Prevention focuses on flexibility, not restriction. Avoiding dieting, maintaining regular eating, developing diverse coping strategies, and challenging diet culture can reduce risk—and developing BED is never your fault.
• Effective treatment is individualised, multidisciplinary, and non-weight-focused. The best outcomes come from a compassionate team approach (therapist, dietitian, medical doctor) that addresses root causes, not weight.
• Full recovery looks different for everyone, and partial progress is valuable. Whether it's complete freedom from binge eating or improved quality of life with reduced symptoms, any movement toward recovery matters.
• Supporting a loved one starts with compassion and education. Express concerns gently, avoid weight talk, believe their experience, encourage professional help, and remember—you can't force recovery, but your support matters deeply.

References:

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