How is Body Image Related to Nutrition?
What is “Body Image” and How Does It Relate to Eating Habits? Body image refers to the way we think and feel abou...
06 February, 2025 No commentHeal the relationship you have with your body and food.
Reach a healthy body weight. Identify triggers. Reduce or eliminate negative behaviors associated with eating. Achieve recovery with caring professionals who will support and guide you toward whole-body health and wellbeing. Experience freedom around food, exercise, and your body.
Achieve recovery from binge eating with help from expert dietitian nutritionists. Weight-inclusive nutrition care, outpatient treatment programs, family-based treatment, and supportive, professional therapy provide you with the tools you need to overcome food anxiety and body dysmorphia. Make an appointment for in-person or online nutrition therapy. Achieve freedom around food, exercise, and your body.
Binge Eating Disorder, also known as BED, is a serious mental health disorder that affects up to 2% of the population. It is a severe condition characterized by feeling out of control when eating and consuming much larger quantities of food than usual.
While occasional overeating is not uncommon, experiencing a persistent sense of loss of control over eating and regularly consuming abnormally large quantities of food may be a sign of binge-eating disorder.
People with BED often experience feelings of embarrassment or shame about their eating episodes. They may attempt to restrict or drastically reduce their food intake, which can intensify cravings and perpetuate the cycle.
We believe recovery is possible with nutrition therapy and coaching. We can help you stop feeling guilt and shame and heal your relationship with food and body.
The exact cause of BED is unknown, but there can be a variety of factors, like genetics, environmental and psychological factors, and mental illness. Frequency with on and off again dieting (yo-yo dieting) may play a part, trauma, poor self-esteem, low confidence, and life events may trigger or exacerbate binge eating behaviors.
Common symptoms may include but not limited to:
Eating large amount of food in a short period of time
Feeling a lack of control during these episodes
Eating when not physically hungry
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating rapidly during binge episodes
Eating alone or in secret due to embarrassment
Feeling preoccupied with body shape and weight
Awareness is key to getting help for you or someone you love. Someone struggling with BED may become adept at hiding behavior. This is because of those feelings of guilt and shame. If you suspect someone you care about is struggling with binge eating, it’s important to have a candid, caring conversation with them and reach out for help from eating disorder specialists.
Nutrition therapy for BED includes:
Meeting the patient where they are at.
Setting attainable goals around minimizing behaviors by ensuring the client struggling is actually eating enough during the day. (Restricting can be the number one culprit to overeating/binging later on in the day.)
Determining what foods the patient enjoys eating, and what foods make them nervous to be around.
Working together with a dietitian to normalize eating again while minimizing binging behaviors.
It’s important to note that this problem most likely did not develop overnight, and it will take some time to overcome your eating disorder as well. With the right support and treatment plan, recovery is possible.
Because BED is a complex disorder, recovery often requires a multidisciplinary team of a dietitian for nutrition therapy, a therapist for challenging thoughts/feelings around food, and a psychiatrist for medication management if needed. We all work collaboratively with the patient to improve their destructive behavior and get them back on the right path again to food freedom. Likewise, at Branz Nutrition Counseling, we offer family-based treatment to provide families and caregivers with the tools they need to help provide support during the healing process. You are not alone.
This really depends on the patient’s insurance plan, however most insurance plans cover up to 100% or at times leaving the patient with a small copay/deductible compared to paying out of pocket. We always recommend checking your insurance benefits regarding nutrition coverage.
Branz Nutrition Counseling is a team of certified eating disorder dietitians who provide compassionate care to those struggling with their relationship to food. Our approach is weight-inclusive, LGBTQIA+, and social justice-oriented, which means that we believe that everyone deserves access to quality care.
We can’t wait to meet you!
With locations in Illinois and Missouri, we offer both virtual and in-person counseling sessions. And, we are licensed to provide Telehealth nutrition therapy to patients around the country.
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We see clients in person in the St. Louis area, Missouri, Illinois, and from around the country via Telehealth. Learn more here.
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What service do you need? We offer a range of appointments of different durations to best fit your needs.
Be paired with the dietitian nutritionist on our team and get continued support with one of our online groups. One-on-one counseling, in-person, or virtual. WE TAKE INSURANCE!
Heal your relationship with food and your body. Choose the best foods for your unique needs. Get the tools you need to live a healthy life. Receive continued support.
Note: In order to secure a spot on a dietitian’s schedule, we need a valid payment method on file.
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