Experts Warn: Hidden Emotional Triggers Are Causing India’s Increasing Binge-Eating Crisis

Bariatric surgeons, psychiatrists, and diabetologists explain how emotional eating, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle disparities are covertly contributing to binge eating and associated health risks.

A frequent approach to dealing with emotions is through eating, says Lakshmi Venkatraman, consultant psychiatrist and assistant director of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services at SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation). Food restrictions and diets are also to blame. People tend to overeat, feel guilty about it, have low self-esteem, and then binge eat and feel even worse. This is the beginning of the vicious cycle.

Easy steps like eating regular meals that include all foods, including favorites in moderation, might be beneficial. According to Dr. Lakshmi, figuring out how to deal with our emotions will help when we recognize that they are driving us to eat. Binge eating can be avoided by eating mindfully, paying attention to what we are consuming, and eating slowly.

The managing director of Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, R.M. Anjana, explains the significance of controlling "what we put into our mouth" by citing the numerous studies conducted by the Foundation at different points in time. If someone finds out that they are bingeing once a week for three months, she says an alarm should go off. "Diet and exercise alone can prevent 50% of diabetes," she stated, citing research showing that 15–20% of type 2 diabetes cases are caused by binge eating.

According to P. Praveen Raj, consultant and head of the Department of Minimal Access Bariatric and Robotic Surgery in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, GEM Hospital and Research Center, Coimbatore, a bariatric surgeon seeks to regulate the gut hormones.

Getting a complete history of the person's problems is the first step. The gut contains a number of hormones that promote hunger, control fullness, and facilitate digestion. Obesity may result from an imbalance in any one of them. He clarifies that treating the cause is the goal. He continued by saying that you rule out the psychological reasons and the pathological abnormality. We can begin treating the disease once this is understood.