Why Binge Eating Disorder Is Ultimately a Restrictive Eating Disorder
When most people think about binge eating disorder (BED), they picture the binge episodes: eating large amounts of food, often quickly, sometimes feeling out of control, and frequently followed by shame or guilt. Because the “binge” part is so visible, the underlying restriction can be easy to miss. But in reality, BED is often rooted in the same restrictive patterns that drive other eating disorders.
Understanding BED as a restrictive eating disorder changes not only how we see it, but how we heal from it.
The Restriction–Binge Cycle
Binge eating rarely happens in isolation. More often, it’s the other half of a cycle:
1- Restriction
This can mean eating less than your body needs, skipping meals, or avoiding certain foods altogether. It can also be mental restriction—telling yourself you “shouldn’t” have certain foods or that you have to “make up” for eating them later.
2- Deprivation
Over time, your body and brain respond to restriction as a threat, increasing cravings, lowering mood, and making food thoughts more persistent.
3- Binge
Eventually, the biological and psychological pressure builds to the point where eating feels urgent and hard to stop.
4- Shame and renewed restriction
Afterward, guilt often fuels more restriction, and the cycle repeats.
Even if you’re eating every day, if you’re eating less than your body needs—or telling yourself you shouldn’t eat certain foods—you’re still sending your body the signal that food is scarce.
Physical and Mental Restriction Often Go Unseen
Restriction isn’t just about calorie counts. It can take two forms:
Physical restriction – Limiting the quantity of food or skipping meals.
Mental restriction – Allowing yourself to eat physically, but under strict rules (“I can have this only if I run tomorrow” or “I’ll eat salad now so I can ‘earn’ dessert later”).
Mental restriction can be just as powerful as physical restriction in triggering binges, because your brain perceives scarcity even when food is available..
Why This Perspective Matters for Healing
If we see BED only as a “lack of control” problem, the instinct is to double down on willpower, rules, or even more restrictive diets—exactly what fuels the cycle. But if we understand BED as a restrictive eating disorder, the focus shifts:
Nourishment first – Meeting your body’s energy needs consistently helps regulate hunger and reduce binge urges.
Permission to eat – Allowing all foods removes the mental scarcity that makes certain foods feel “too tempting to resist.”
Self-compassion – Recognizing that binges are a biological and psychological response to restriction helps reduce shame.
The Role of Trauma, Emotions, and Identity
While restriction is a major driver, BED can also be influenced by emotional regulation challenges, trauma histories, weight stigma, and identity stress. For people living in marginalized bodies, the pressure to diet or shrink themselves often begins early, creating a long-term pattern of restriction that sets the stage for binge eating.
Final Thoughts
Binge eating disorder isn’t a failure of discipline—it’s often a survival response to restriction. When we approach it through a lens of nourishment, permission, and body trust, we create the conditions for true healing.
If you live with BED, know this: you are not broken, and your body is not the enemy. Healing is possible, and it begins with understanding that the binge is not the problem—it’s the signal that something deeper needs care.
If this resonates with you, I’d be honored to help you navigate recovery with compassion, skill, and a deep respect for your lived experience. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit.