#FRIDAYFACTS: Night Eating Syndrome

 #FRIDAYFACTS: Night Eating Syndrome

 

This week's #FridayFacts focus on Night Eating Syndrome (NES).

This is a lesser known form of eating disorder/disorder, despite being first recognised and written about by Stunkard in 1951.

We've had clients who have tackled NES and gone on to improve their relationship with food, develop more helpful eating habits and improve life generally.

Here's some of the signs and symptoms of Night Eating Syndrome:

* Not formally classified as ED, but acknowledged as form of ED. More people are now speaking about their experiences with NES.

* NES first discussed by Albert Stunkard in 1951. He characterised it as ‘ongoing and persistent pattern of overeating late at night’.

* In NES, there is a lack appetite in the morning and afternoon, but the person engages in overeating late at night and during the night, when they frequently awaken to overeat.

* Those experiencing NES tend not have a one-off binge. Rather, they overeat at various intervals throughout night, in-between periods of sleeping.

* NES differs from Binge Eating Disorder in that individual continues to overeat throughout night, rather than overeat in a relatively short period of time (as would be case with BED).

* It has been suggested that NES affects approximately 1-2% of population. Individuals of all ages and genders can experience NES.

* NES should not be confused with Sleep Eating Syndrome - a sleep disorder, rather than an eating disorder/disordered eating.

* Some suggest that NES may be combination of eating disorder, mood disorder and sleep disorder. Suggestion remains controversial.

Hope you find this week's #FridayFacts interesting.

Take care and have a good weekend, Alexandra

www.eatingdisorderscotland.co.uk

support@eatingdisorderscotland.co.uk