Why Do I Binge Eat- The Perfectionism Model

Why Did I Start Binge Eating?

(And how will knowing why I started help me stop)

Many of us have been binge eating for years. Maybe we know what started our binges or maybe we don’t. The most important question is, “Why do we continue to binge eat?” And of course, what can we do to stop this terrible habit? There are 4 theories of binge eating. The one we are discussing here is the perfectionism model. We will go over what it is, its relation to binge eating, and how to manage it. 

Perfectionism model

(1)

Who might be a perfectionist: 

“Perfectionism is a personality disposition characterized by striving for flawlessness and setting exceedingly high standards of performance accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one's behavior” (2).

Perfectionism in relation to impulse control: “Highly motivated persons (a.k.a. tortured souls) who experience powerful impulses that frequently clash with their goals and values” (3). 

 Positive aspects of perfectionism: 

Perfectionists often perform well at work and in school due to the high standards they set for themselves. (4). 

Negative aspects of perfectionism: 

Many perfectionists often set UNREALISTIC STANDARDS for themselves. When they are unable to reach these standards, they experience repeated failures which tanks their self-esteem. This, in turn, can create depressive episodes and a low overall view of self. 

The Perfection model of Binge eating (PMOBE) suggests that there are 4 BINGE TRIGGERS, some mentioned above, that set perfectionists up for binge eating (1): 

• Interpersonal discrepancies - the idea that the individual is not able to live up to the standards that themselves or others demand of them.

  
  

• Low interpersonal esteem - the feeling that others often dislike them or that they are not “good enough”. 

  
  

• Depressive affect - ties into the idea that one is not good enough for themselves or others.

  
  

• Dietary restraint - Perfectionism isn’t confined just to tasks or performance in school/work, but also usually extends to body image. Perfectionists are prone to constant dieting and regulation of the foods they eat.

A snippet from me

I have always been a believer that humans can do whatever we set our mind to, if we want it bad enough. There are certain pros to this, such as I sometimes have an over-confidence in what I’m able to do and therefore pursue things that someone with less belief in themselves may not even attempt. There are also cons to this. In my everyday life I would often over schedule, thinking I could go to class, then do 8 hours of homework without a break, then go to the gym, then meet up with friends, maybe sacrificing sleep but overall having what I would classify as a “productive life”. When I couldn’t do 8 straight hours of homework, I would view that as a failure. Sometimes I would justify overeating so I could get more energy to do homework, which we all know just made me tired and regretful in the end. What was wrong with me? This unrealistic standard had an impact on my self-esteem and overall quality of life. If I had just scheduled 4 hour chunks or allowed myself breaks maybe I would have been more successful.  

A basic understanding of Perfectionism and its relation to binge eating 

Basically, those that feel that their social world is highly judgemental and pressure-filled may not feel comfortable turning to others for social support for fear of being judged or deemed “less than”. Because of this, these individuals are more at risk of turning to food for a sense of comfort and support. Additionally, those with perfectionism are more prone to experiencing depressive affect on a DAILY BASIS because of their preoccupation of what others think of them. Their unrealistic standards for themselves often lead to feelings of failure, thus decreasing their self esteem as well. In order to deal with these depressogenic episodes, perfectionists may attempt to escape or regulate by binge eating food.

Managing perfectionism: 

1. Start setting realistic goals 

   1. Set goals you believe you can actually achieve. This means that likely, your daily goals WILL DIFFER. Hell, even your hourly goals. Give yourself breaks, prioritize sleep, maybe one day you can do that 4 hour chunk of homework no problem, but the next day you need to take more breaks in between.  

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

   1. Studies indicate a wider version of cognitive behavior therapy for eating disorders (Fairburn et al., 2009), which addresses problems such as perfectionism, leads to better results than a treatment with a narrower focus on just eating disorders symptoms.

3. Interpersonal Therapy

   1. Perfectionism is an interpersonal trait (involves relations between people) and therefore predisposes people to interpersonal problems, which has been shown to lead to binge eating (Sherry, 2014). Interpersonal therapy focuses on the relationships that the individual has with others and how to improve them. Interpersonal therapy is built on the idea that mental problems are often connected with people’s friendships and social interactions. (As, 2024). 

If you are interested, I made a self-guided workbook that uses skills and tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (which covers interpersonal relationships). I also have you go over goal setting and created a rewards system in the workbook so that you are more likely to achieve the goals that you set for yourself. If you relate to perfectionism and want to try the self guided workbook, it can be found for purchase here - Coming February 2025.

References

1. Rosenbaum, D. L., & White, K. S. (2013). The role of anxiety in binge eating behavior: a critical examination of theory and empirical literature. Health Psychology Research, 1(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.4081/hpr.2013.e19

   
   

2. Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (2002). Perfectionism and stress processes in psychopathology. In G. L. Flett & P. L. Hewitt (Eds.), Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment (pp. 255–284). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10458-011

   
   

3. Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral therapy: A review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1

   
   

4. Fairburn, C. G., Cooper, Z., & Shafran, R. (2003). Cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders: a “transdiagnostic” theory and treatment. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41(5), 509–528. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7967(02)00088-8