A review of decades of research shows that highly processed foods are present in most binge-eating episodes, while minimally processed foods are uncommon. The review finds the same foods again and again: cake, ice cream, cookies, chocolate, pastries, pizza and chips.
Binge eating began to appear in research around the 1970s, about the time processed foods became more common. The study's authors say the findings could change how clinicians, families and policymakers approach prevention and treatment by asking them to think about how the food environment affects binge eating. The study appears in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Difficult words
- processed — changed by industry to last longerhighly processed, minimally processed, processed foods
- binge eating — eating a very large amount of food quicklybinge-eating
- environment — the area and conditions around people or thingsfood environment
- clinicians — health professionals who help and treat patients
- prevention — actions to stop a problem before it starts
- treatment — care or methods to make someone better
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think processed foods are easy to find in your town? Give one example.
- How can families help someone who has binge eating?
- Which of the listed foods (cake, ice cream, cookies, pizza, chips) do you eat often? Why?
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