Binge Eating Disorder Treatment
Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 19, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • Binge eating disorder is one of the most common eating disorders in the United States, yet many people still go years without knowing they need help.
  • These emotions can make daily life harder, affecting health, confidence, and relationships.
  • Even though BED is widespread, many people never reach out because they don't recognize the signs or don't know that treatment can work.

Binge eating disorder is one of the most common eating disorders in the United States, yet many people still go years without knowing they need help. BED often starts quietly. Episodes may feel like a loss of control, followed by guilt, stress, or shame. These emotions can make daily life harder, affecting health, confidence, and relationships. Even though BED is widespread, many people never reach out because they don’t recognize the signs or don’t know that treatment can work.

Understanding how binge eating disorder develops is the first step toward healing. With the right support, recovery becomes possible for anyone, no matter how long they have struggled. At Balance Rehab Clinic, our specialists guide patients through evidence-based care that supports both emotional and physical health, helping them rebuild a steady and confident relationship with food.

Key Takeaways

  • Binge eating disorder is common but often overlooked, which delays treatment for many people.
  • BED involves repeated episodes of heavy eating without compensatory behaviors, often followed by guilt or emotional distress.
  • Medical care may include monitoring vital signs, tracking weight, and addressing physical complications linked to binge eating.
  • Nutritional therapy supports structured eating, balanced meals, and improved comfort with feared or avoided foods.
  • CBT is the leading therapy for BED and focuses on managing triggers, building regular eating habits, and reducing binge episodes.
  • Other therapies, such as interpersonal therapy, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches, can also support recovery.
  • Rehab programs offer different levels of care, including residential, partial hospitalization, extended day, and intensive outpatient treatment.
  • Treatment success improves when patients work on hunger cues, trigger identification, mindful eating, and structured meal planning.
  • Recovery is possible with the right combination of medical support, therapy, and daily self-care strategies.

Medical treatment is beneficial for patients with BED who present with unstable physical parameters. A medical doctor handles the treatment with specific training in treating different types of eating disorders. The goal is to identify and address all potential medical issues and complications arising from binge eating disorder.

According to the Critical Points for Early Recognition and Medical Risk Management in the Care of Individuals with Eating Disorders guidelines by the Academy for Eating Disorders, medical treatment for BED includes:

  • Monitoring vital signs
  • Weight tracking and laboratory testing
  • Additional testing to determine bone density and heart function
  • Management of all physical symptoms, including heart problems and gastrointestinal distress

The initial and most crucial step for treating binge eating disorder involves reparation for the lost health and weight by normalizing food intake and associated behaviors. For this purpose, experts may use nutritional therapy under the supervision of a registered dietician. This therapy involves a detailed assessment of an individual’s current nutritional status, food preferences, and medical needs. Following this, the dietician collaborates with patients to develop a meal plan that adequately addresses their nutrition while providing graded exposure to their feared foods to increase flexibility.

So far, the best psychological treatment for eating disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. CBT has proven extremely effective in treating bulimia nervosa, BED, anorexia nervosa, and other eating disorders. CBT tends to focus on addressing the symptoms and behavioral changes associated with binge eating disorder through the following key elements:

  • Meal planning
  • Self-monitoring, for example, through a food diary
  • Addressing over-evaluation of weight and shape
  • Relapse prevention
  • Exposure to forbidden food
  • Addressing negative body image
  • Establishment of regular eating
  • Challenging dietary rules
  • Disruption of dangerous behaviors, such as binge eating, dieting, and any compensatory mechanisms
  • Other types of psychotherapies that can prove effective in BED management include:
  • Interpersonal therapy
  • Cognitive remediation therapy
  • Integrative cognitive-affective therapy
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy
  • Mindfulness-based eating awareness training
  • Special supportive clinical management

Lisdexamfetaminedimesylate, or LDX, is the only FDA-approved medication to manage binge eating disorder. As a stimulant, experts often prescribe LDX to patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Like any pharmaceutical medication, LDX comes with its own potential side effects; hence, it is important for a healthcare provider to balance its pros and cons. For example, a doctor may carefully assess whether you are at risk for stroke or suffer from heart problems.  Some common side effects of LDX include nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal distress. Because of its stimulant nature, the medication may also cause some people jitteriness, restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia.

Other medications used for binge eating disorder treatment are off-label since they do not hold approval for managing BED from a relevant regulatory authority. Some of these medications include weight loss pills since many BED patients have obesity, and one of their long-term treatment goals is shedding all extra body weight.

A professional rehab is the best place to learn how to treat binge eating disorder effectively while minimizing the chances of recovery. While there are different types of eating disorders treatment facilities working across the United States, most of them operate on the following levels of care:

Residential Treatment

Also known as inpatient treatment, this type of recovery program is for residents who are medically stable but require the help and support of staff round-the-clock.

Extended Day Treatment Program

This includes up to 12 hours of individualized treatment for binge eating disorder for patients who present with severely impaired functioning.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

As a less intense form of treatment than residential programs, PHP offers BED patients a place to practice real-life skills that they acquired in the previous level of care. It may serve as an entry point or a step down from a more intensive treatment program.

Intensive Outpatient Program

This level of care provides a step-up in supporting those struggling with BED or a step down for those transitioning from a more intensive treatment program

Regardless of the type of rehab or the level of care an individual opts for to receive BED treatment, achieving recovery requires a collaborative effort from the patient’s end. There are multiple things experts recommend patients must do to improve treatment outcomes. These strategies include:

Paying attention to hunger cues

Eat only when you truly feel hungry. Pay attention to hunger cues, such as lightheadedness, a growling stomach, and irritability. Delaying eating to the point of starvation is one of the biggest risk factors that trigger binge eating.

Get rid of trigger foods

Most people suffering from binge eating disorder have specific foods that trigger their binge episodes. For instance, some might find it difficult to resist cookies, while others may be tempted to keep savoring noodles. If such is the case with you, get rid of all trigger foods from the house. If someone else wishes to keep them, explain how it would harm them or ask them to keep it out of your sight.

Identify triggers

Try identifying triggers that force you to binge eat and avoid them as much as possible. For instance, some people are more likely to indulge in binge eating when they visit buffet-style restaurants and can benefit by avoiding going there. For others, food-related social interactions might serve as a trigger. You may work with your therapist as a part of your inpatient or outpatient binge eating disorder treatment rehab to identify these triggers in a much better way.

Practice mindful eating

Try your best not to indulge in any other activity while you are eating, such as watching television, reading, or working. Pay attention to the food you eat and be mindful of the quantities you consume. Avoid eating when you feel bored, as boredom also leads to BED episodes.

Keep a food journal

Keeping a food journal can provide help with binge eating disorder for many. Use this journal to write down every food item you consume during the day. Maintaining this journal can help you hold yourself accountable and practice vigilance in the future. You may also consider reporting your weekly food intake to a family member or a friend to increase accountability.

Plan your meals

Building a healthy meal plan is one of the best tips to stop binge eating. As a part of inpatient or outpatient treatment, you can get in touch with an onsite nutritionist to devise a meal plan that is nutritious and healthy but does not leave you feeling deprived at the same time. If you are planning to join a luxury binge eating disorder treatment center, you may also get access to a personal chef who can cater to your meal plans in a better way as you focus on other aspects of recovery.

Stay Active

Many inpatient rehabilitation centers for eating disorders come with a fitness center or an onsite gym to promote wellness in their clients. Try to visit it every day and spend time working out to keep up your activity levels. If you seek outpatient binge eating therapy or are enrolled in a PHP, consider joining a gym outside your treatment program.

Stay hydrated

Make it a habit to drink plenty of water every day. A typical binge-eating diet usually involves a lot of sugar and salt, which can dehydrate the body. The resultant thirst can also be mistaken for hunger and trigger binge eating.

Avoid using a weighing scale

Avoid attempting to check your body weight on your own. Your treatment provider at the rehab will help you with it under their supervision when the time is right. Attempting to check your weight too often or on your own can interfere with the ongoing recovery process.

When someone faces binge eating disorder (BED), they benefit most from a program that treats the whole person—not just the eating behavior. At Balance Rehab Clinic, we go beyond singular symptoms and deliver an integrative, custom-designed treatment path that is grounded in research and tailored to your lived experience.

Personalized Assessment and Care

Right from intake, clients receive a detailed evaluation of both physical and psychological health. This early assessment helps us identify any medical complications, nutritional imbalances, or co-occurring mental health issues. This comprehensive approach ensures we don’t overlook any factor that could derail recovery.

Evidence-Based Therapeutic Models

Balance Rehab Clinic engages proven therapies recommended for BED. For example:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to change patterns of thinking and behavior around eating and body image.
  • Mindfulness-based and acceptance strategies to help you live more freely instead of being controlled by urges and shame.
    Because BED impacts both the body and mind, this dual focus is essential and part of our core program.

Nutrition Support and Meal-Structure

Because binge eating often involves disrupted eating patterns, Balance Rehab Clinic places strong emphasis on nutritional therapy. You’ll work with a registered dietician to build flexible, non-restrictive eating plans and confront “forbidden-food” fears in a safe context. Over time you relearn regular, balanced eating rather than the restrict-then-binge cycle.

Graduated Levels of Care

Recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our center provides multiple levels of care (including day treatment, intensive outpatient, and step-down support) so you stay in a program that matches your current needs. Transitioning through these levels helps maintain momentum and reduce the risk of relapse.

Small Groups & High Clinician Ratio

Research supports that better outcomes occur when treatment groups are smaller and clients have more face-time with clinicians. At Balance Rehab Clinic, we keep client numbers low and staffing high so your treatment feels personal, not generic. This leads to more meaningful insight and faster skill-development.

Aftercare & Ongoing Support

Healing doesn’t end when you leave the center. We help you prepare a realistic after-care plan that includes peer support, family involvement, and nutrition maintenance. By embedding these supports into your exit plan, you strengthen your long-term recovery and reduce chances of returning to old patterns.

Why It Matters for You

By choosing Balance Rehab Clinic, you’re selecting a center that aligns treatment with your personal story, your body’s needs, and your emotional world. You won’t be treated as a “case number.” Instead, you’ll be guided by professionals who understand how BED affects daily life and who give you tools to rebuild lasting stability, self-trust, and a healthier relationship with food.

FAQs

How can I know if I suffer from a binge eating disorder?

You might be suffering from a binge eating disorder if you:
Regularly consume a large amount of food in a finite time period
Eat very quickly or even when you are not truly hungry
Feel as if you have lost control over your eating habits
Do not stop eating unless you are uncomfortably full
Feel depressed or guilty after each binge-eating session
Prefer eating alone because you are embarrassed about the amount of food you consume 
To get an official BED diagnosis, you must experience a binging episode with the above-mentioned symptoms at least once a week for three consecutive months.

Why is it important to cure binge eating disorder?

It is imperative to seek treatment for binge eating disorder as it puts you at a very high risk of obesity. Increased body weight and obesity, in turn, can lead to many serious health issues, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even sometimes of cancer. Some individuals with BED also develop problems with their joint and muscle health and digestive systems.

How can I differentiate BED from bulimia nervosa?

BED and bulimia nervosa are similar in that both types of eating disorders involve binge eating episodes. However, individuals suffering from bulimia nervosa attempt to prevent weight gain following a binge eating episode by adopting compensatory mechanisms, such as fasting, vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics, or exercising too much. People with BED, on the other hand, do not adopt these compensatory measures.

How to treat binge eating disorder in the best possible way?

The best way to treat binge eating disorder is by seeking professional help from an eating disorder rehab. These rehabilitation centers include highly-trained professionals that work alongside you to help you overcome your daily challenges and struggles with food through evidence-based medications and treatment.

What is the difference between an inpatient and outpatient rehab for binge eating disorder?

Inpatient rehab provides binge eating disorder treatment onsite through a highly-supervised program in which patients live in dedicated accommodations. This program typically suits those with severe BED symptoms that require constant professional help. On the other hand, outpatient rehab includes partial treatment and therapy sessions for a fixed duration per day. By the end of therapy, patients return to their homes.  Outpatient BED rehabs are appropriate for people who have completed inpatient treatment or those with mild forms of this eating disorder.

What is an executive binge eating disorder rehab?

A luxury binge eating disorder is a rehabilitation facility that caters to high-profile clients, such as politicians, celebrities, and athletes. These rehabs work from secluded locations and provide five-star luxuries and amenities to their clients, including private villas, personal chef and driver, and access to pools, spas, and saunas, along with other facilities. These extra amenities make executive binge eating disorder rehabs cost much more than standard treatment facilities.

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