What Educators Should Know

Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder where someone eats a lot of food in a short period of time (called binge eating). People with binge eating disorder feel like they don’t have control over how much they eat and they can’t stop, even when they feel uncomfortably full.

To treat binge eating, medical specialists work as a team to help a person reach a healthy weight, develop healthy habits, and change the way they think about food and their body.

By working with your student and their family, you can help your student have their best educational experience.

Challenges for Students With Binge Eating Disorder

Students who binge eat might:

• have a hard time concentrating
• not be able to play sports or do physical activities as well as expected
• skip meals or eat at unusual times (like late at night) or eat alone
• spend more time alone or avoid eating with their peers
• have nausea, headaches, or dizziness, or be very tired
• be irritable or have mood changes
• have sudden weight gain or weight loss
• feel anxiety, guilt, and distress after they binge eat

What Educators Can Do

Talk to your student and their parents about:

• What to do if your student is binging at school.
• If the student needs to take a break from physical education classes.
• If the student needs supervised lunches, or monitoring during snacks or meals.
• Any other special instructions.

Other reminders:

• Review posters/books/materials in your classroom. Try to create a body positive environment that supports all different body types.
• Encourage a healthy attitude about exercise and nutrition in your classroom.
• Help build your student’s confidence by recognizing and appreciating their strengths — in reading, sports, drama, art, or whatever they enjoy.
• Provide support. If you think your student is feeling upset, talk to them and their family about counseling options in school or in the community. Some school districts don’t require parents’ permission for a student to see a counselor at school while others do. Check your local school district’s policies.