Binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the most common but misunderstood eating disorders. Often entangled with shame, secrecy, and a lifetime of dieting, recovery from BED is not as simple as controlling hunger or losing weight. It requires a compassionate, multi-layered approach that addresses not just eating habits, but emotions, thoughts, and the body’s natural signals.

In a recent episode of the Full of Beans podcast, Han spoke with BANT-registered nutritionist and eating disorder specialist Marcelle Rose about the true nature of binge eating recovery, and why the growing popularity of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Ozempic may offer a short-term fix but not long-term healing.

Binge Eating Disorder Recovery

Marcelle shares that many of her clients have struggled with binge eating for decades. These individuals often come with a deep sense of failure, feeling "broken" because of years of dieting, restricting, and being caught in an unrelenting binge-restrict cycle.

True recovery, she explains, begins with regular and structured eating. Many people with BED are surprised to learn that restriction, particularly during the day, can lead to uncontrollable bingeing later on. By reintroducing regular meals and snacks, blood sugar levels can stabilise, hunger becomes more predictable, and the body starts to feel safe again. This basic structure helps reduce binge urges, especially when paired with education around nutrition and gentle habit-building.

But food is only part of the picture.

Emotional Awareness and Self-Compassion

Marcelle emphasises that binge eating is rarely just about food. It's often a coping mechanism for difficult emotions like shame, loneliness, boredom, or anxiety. That's why her approach includes emotional awareness and mindset coaching.

Many clients struggle to even name their feelings at first, having spent so long numbing them with food. Tools like journaling and emotion wheels help clients develop emotional literacy and understand the connection between their inner world and their eating behaviours. By naming feelings and recognising patterns, clients begin to replace judgement with curiosity—a vital shift in the healing process.

Understanding Hunger and Satiety

In BED recovery, another important piece is reconnecting with the body. That means learning to notice hunger and fullness cues and responding to them in a balanced, flexible way. Many people with BED either fear hunger or ignore it altogether. Marcelle guides clients to check in before and after eating, reflecting on how full they feel and what they might need.

Importantly, this isn't about rigid food rules. It's about tuning in and building trust with the body—often for the first time in years.

So, What About GLP-1s?

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes, are now being used off-label for weight loss. Some proponents suggest they could help treat binge eating disorder by suppressing appetite and "silencing food noise."

Marcelle acknowledges that, yes, these medications might reduce cravings or preoccupations with food—temporarily. But this is not a cure. In fact, she warns that they may mask symptoms without addressing the underlying issues.

As soon as the medication is stopped (due to side effects, cost, or lack of access), the old patterns often return. Why? Because the root causes of binge eating, emotional distress, restrictive eating, poor body image, lack of structure, haven't been addressed. In some cases, clients experience even more intense food noise after stopping the medication.

Why Medication Isn't a Long Term Fix

Binge eating disorder is not just about eating too much. It's about the emotional pain that fuels the behaviour. It's about the shame cycle, the fear of hunger, the distrust of the body. GLP-1s might temporarily suppress appetite, but they can't:

• Teach someone to feel safe eating breakfast again
• Help someone identify the emotion driving their food cravings
• Rebuild body trust after decades of dieting
• Provide long-term coping tools for emotional regulation

In short: you can't medicate your way out of binge eating disorder.

Marcelle offers a hopeful reminder: even if you've struggled for years, healing is possible. Through regular nourishment, emotional connection, mindset shifts, and body awareness, people can break free from binge eating, no injections required.

Final Thoughts

GLP-1s might feel like a quick solution in a society obsessed with shrinking bodies, but true recovery is a process of reconnection, not restriction. If you're struggling with binge eating, you're not alone, and you don't need to rely on medication to heal.

Instead, recovery is about learning to nourish, understand, and trust your body again. And with the right support, it’s absolutely possible.

You can listen to the episode with Brea on Full of Beans podcast!

Sending positive beans your way,
Han 💛