You've probably tried to stop more times than you can count.

There is a reason it keeps happening.

And it's unlikely to be the one you've been telling yourself.

Binge eating disorder and compulsive overeating are among the most misunderstood eating difficulties there are - and among the most treatable with the right support. This page is for anyone who recognises themselves in the restrict-binge pattern, whether or not they have a name for it.

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WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE HERE

People who find their way to this page often describe a similar experience with food and eating. The details vary but the underlying pattern tends to be fairly consistent.

They have episodes of eating that feel out of control - where eating is fast, often in private and often well past the point of fullness. Afterwards comes a wave of shame, self-criticism and resolve to do better. For many this is a familiar pattern that has been going on for years, sometimes decades.

They have tried cutting back, starting fresh and following plans but nothing has made a lasting difference. Some have lost weight and regained it more than once. And most have spent a long time believing the problem is their lack of willpower, their discipline or ultimately, just them.

When someone who binge eats chooses to seek support, it is often the result of a gradual accumulation of exhausting feelings and experiences. Whilst they might be quietly wondering whether this is just how things are going to be - it doesn't have to be.

What is binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the UK and one of the least talked about. It is characterised by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period of time, with a sense of loss of control during the episode and significant distress afterwards.
Unlike bulimia, BED doesn't typically involve compensatory behaviours such as purging or fasting. But it almost always exists within a longer pattern where attempts to restrict food or eat more carefully trigger the very urges they are trying to suppress.
A binge episode is distinct from eating too much. People with BED often describe a trance-like quality to binges - eating quickly and past the point of comfort, often in secret, with no pleasure involved. A compulsive act, it is frequently a response to emotional distress, and the shame that follows is typically intense and disproportionate to what an ordinary episode of overeating would produce.
*If you’re unsure whether what you experience is binge eating disorder or simply overeating,* *this article may help*.

WHO DOES BED AFFECT?

BED affects people across all body sizes, ages and backgrounds.

It is a recognised clinical condition with well-understood neurobiological underpinnings.
It is definitely not a lifestyle choice, a character flaw or a failure of self-control.

A formal diagnosis isn't required to seek support.

Many people who experience binge eating don't meet the full clinical criteria for BED, but their struggle is just as real and just as deserving of proper attention.

WHY ‘TRYING HARDER’ RARELY HELPS

One of the most important things to understand about binge eating is that restricting food, even mild, well-intentioned restriction, tends to make it worse over time.

When the body experiences food scarcity, whether through a formal diet, skipping meals, eliminating food groups or simply eating less than it needs, it responds at a neurobiological level. Food preoccupation increases. Cravings intensify. The brain's reward system becomes primed to seek out precisely the foods that have been avoided. This is a physiological response that has been well-documented in research.

The cycle tends to follow a recognisable shape:

Each time the cycle repeats, it can become more entrenched and harder to step out of. This is why more effort, more discipline or a better diet plan rarely resolves the problem.

What does tend to make a lasting difference is understanding what is driving the cycle, and then working with the body, rather than against it.

““Still amazed at how my habits have changed but now with very little conscious thought around it all. I haven’t binged or emotionally eaten for a very long time.””

— Kerry, Balsall Common

A specialist approach

I'm Sarah Grant, founder of Gut Reaction. I've been a BANT Registered Nutritional Therapy and Behaviour Change Practitioner for over twelve years. I’m one of a small number of practitioners in the UK to hold an advanced practitioner accreditation in Nutritional Therapy for Eating Disorders.
I work clinically with binge eating, compulsive overeating and disordered eating.
The work I do is *not* about handing over a meal plan or a programme of food rules. It is a collaborative, evidence-informed process of understanding what is driving a person's eating patterns - nutritionally, psychologically and behaviourally - and building a relationship with food that is genuinely more sustainable, without the constant effort of trying to manage or control eating.
My approach draws on nutritional therapy, Intuitive Eating counselling, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the latest in body image research, brought together through my own clinical framework - *The 7 Dynamics of a Healthy Relationship with Food and Your Body.*
Where appropriate, I work alongside GPs and other healthcare professionals.

WHAT WE FOCUS ON TOGETHER

Understanding the nutritional and neurobiological factors driving binge eating - what's happening in the body, not just the mind
Restoring regular, nourishing eating patterns that reduce the physiological drivers of bingeing
Identifying and working with the emotional, psychological and behavioural triggers involved
Gradually rebuilding self-trust and a less fraught relationship with food and the body
Developing ways of eating that don't depend on rules, restriction or willpower to maintain
For more complex or clinical presentations, find out more about Nutritional Counselling for eating disorders and disordered eating.

““I am able to catch myself & remind myself to slow down eating or if I slip into binge eating, stop & consider what needs are really not being met at that moment in time.””

— Jessica, Surrey

Who I work with

I work with adults experiencing a wide range of eating challenges including restrictive, chaotic, compulsive or emotionally driven eating patterns, or a long, exhausting history of dieting. This includes:

Binge eating disorder - with or without a formal diagnosis
Compulsive overeating
Emotional and stress-related eating
Chronic yo-yo dieting and the restrict-overeat cycle
Food preoccupation and persistent food noise
Body image distress alongside disordered eating patterns
Disordered eating patterns during or after GLP-1 weight loss medication

Many people who reach out have already sought help through their GP or another practitioner. Some have been told their presentation doesn't meet the threshold for NHS specialist services. Others have had previous treatment that helped at the time but didn't address the underlying pattern.

Where relevant, I will encourage clients to seek an assessment for BED through their GP or a specialist - but a diagnosis isn't needed to get in touch. If food is taking up more space in your life than feels right and previous attempts to make changes haven't stuck, it may be worth having a conversation.

Investment and commitment

Support is £450 per month, on a rolling basis. There is no fixed contract and no obligation to continue beyond any given month.

For binge eating disorder and complex disordered eating, a minimum of three to four months is generally where meaningful and lasting change begins to take root.

I never push anyone to continue beyond what feels right, but it is worth being open that shorter-term work rarely reaches the depth needed for lasting change with BED.

I keep my caseload deliberately small so that each client receives properly held, attentive support throughout.