Laura Burkett

In my professional experience, binge eating is one of the most frustrating and shame-inducing habits on the eating spectrum. It goes beyond simply "overeating" in its volume of food, intensity, urgency, and often, its cause. Binge eating episodes can vary a bit from person to person, however, there are certain identifying characteristics. Did I just binge eat? Urgency: Many experience a sense of "the blinders going on," and a strong sense eating must happen right now. Some of my clients...

Many of the women I work with report a time in their younger years, whether in high school or college, that they struggled with restrictive eating, binge eating, compulsive exercise, purging, or some combination of these. One woman I recently worked with recalls running 5-10 miles each day, even when sick or tired. Another recalls trying to eat 1000-1200 calories a day, then falling into patterns of painful binge eating episodes. Research indicates that 10-30% of college-age women suffer from...

Many people have the nutritional goal of eating only when they’re hungry and never turning to food for any other reason. "I only want to view food as fuel" -- sound familiar? As admirable as this sounds, you and I both know this isn’t as realistic as one might hope. Many of us ask food to do several jobs for us (outside of fueling the body). This can feel stressful for people that are trying to get their eating “in order,” but remember, human beings have needs. And it feels good to meet our...