Overcoming Binge Eating: A Complete Book Review

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Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher Fairburn is a book that teaches its readers how to control binge eating. It tells you why you binge and guides you through your recovery. This review will help you decide if this book is right for you.

Overcoming Binge Eating: Overview

Overcoming Binge Eating has many talking points throughout the book. Before getting into my review, here’s a quick summary of the topics it covers.

What You Should Know About Binging

In the first part of the book, Christopher aims to make sure you understand binge eating. He explains what it is, what causes it, and the harm it can create. You’ll learn that binging is triggered by many things and can affect everyone differently. After explaining binge eating, Christopher walks you through what commonly triggers binges so you can pinpoint them.

You’ll learn about how binge eating is affecting your life negatively, even in ways you never noticed. The book explains the mental part of binging and how it can ruin self-esteem, relationships, and leads to more dangerous eating disorders. It also reveals why people are afraid to ask for help and inspires you to do so.

Misbeliefs About Weight Loss

After going over binge eating in detail, Christopher teaches readers about common weight loss misconceptions. Because he studies eating disorders, he’s well aware of the unhealthy beliefs people have about losing weight. You learn why obsession over the scale and weight is not helping you lose weight or be healthy at all.

Christopher is very clear when he describes how healthy weight loss should be. He tells you the truth about the diet industry, so you can see how you’re being manipulated into using products that don’t work. He also gives you guidelines for choosing foods for health and weight reduction.

The Approach in the Book

As I’ve said in the past, it’s easy to have an eating disorder change to another over time. Overcoming Binge Eating looks at eating disorders as fluid and not strictly defined. Instead, it’s meant to treat all forms of disordered eating by focusing on the common causes they all share. As long as you’re binging on food in some way, this book will help you.

The book mainly uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to combat binge eating. It’s effective because it tackles the mental part of the illness (cognitive) and also the actions that are causing harm (behavior). Christopher explains why CBT is the best treatment for binge eating and mentions some other, less effective treatments.

He also states hospitalization is not necessary for recovery in most cases. You will, at some point, need to learn to live without being an inpatient. The methods given in the book are easy to follow and laid out step by step so you can follow the program on your own.

How to Control Binge Eating

Part two of the book gives you the process to recover from binge eating. Because Christopher wants you to be sure the program is right for you, he begins with a whole section on getting ready to start. You’ll go over your goals for the program and your reasons to stop binge eating. Doing this gives you perspective and makes you comfortable moving forward.

Then, the book teaches you to find your binge triggers and figure out why they happen. It gives you coping strategies and ways to argue with the thoughts you have to binge. You’ll learn to plan for any situation where you’re likely to experience binge cravings and make them easier to handle. You then review your progress to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

You’re taught what to do if the program isn’t working for you, so you can refocus and move forward. The book includes chapters for common problems people run into during the program. Also, there’s a section on dealing with lapses in recovery and getting back on track.

Lastly, Christopher includes a section on eating properly to reduce binge cravings. This makes learning how to control binge eating much easier. He walks you through planning your meals to eat enough nutritious, high-quality food. You’ll learn to make an eating plan that’s not too rigid, so you won’t obsess over what you’ve eaten or how much of it.

About the Author: Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn

Dr. Christopher Fairburn, D.M., F.MedSci, F.R.C.Psych, is a Wellcome Trust Senior Lecturer and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. He’s the director of CREDO, the Centre for Research on Eating Disorders at Oxford. He’s an authority on eating disorders worldwide and has won many awards for his research.

Christopher aims to help make treatment for eating disorders more easily available around the world for the people who need it most.

What Was Helpful in Overcoming Binge Eating?

Overcoming Binge Eating is a wealth of knowledge about your binge eating problem. It provides helpful examples and graphics throughout the book. You also get to hear personal stories from others that you can relate to along the way.

Christopher is great at reminding you that you’re not suffering alone. He’s sure you can recover using his method and is understanding of the mistakes that come with recovery. You’re provided with all the knowledge you need to fully understand your binge eating before combating it. You’ll be ready to handle any setback.

The book also gives you very no-nonsense health advice. It encourages eating for heart health, avoiding over restriction, and getting plenty of nutrition. You won’t be confused by the eating advice given, nor will you dread putting your eating plan into action. Christopher is well aware restriction of the foods you love leads you to binge and makes a plan you will gladly follow.

What Wasn’t Helpful?

Overcoming Binge Eating spent a lot of time teaching about the many common eating disorders. In some chapters, the book gives too much detail and ends up sounding a bit like a textbook. However, some readers may like the scientific approach of the book. I personally appreciated the deeper learning that Christopher provided.

Christopher also goes into detail about purging methods. If you’re already in recovery from purging, this can be triggering to you. You may want to skip past these chapters to the program, which starts in part two. Do what you need in order to keep your mind in the right place.

Who Can Benefit from the Book?

• Someone who wants a more logical or scientific approach to recovery.
• People who have trouble with overcompensating after binge eating (purging).
• Anyone who wants an honest and no-nonsense approach.
• Someone who needs to follow a simple step-by-step guide.
• Readers who want a short but helpful book.
• People who aren’t triggered by thoughts of purging.
• Anybody who wants to start recovering from binge eating immediately.

"This book has been written for anyone who has a problem controlling their eating. Whatever their age, whatever their gender, whatever their weight." – Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn Click To Tweet

Would I Recommend Overcoming Binge Eating?

I was impressed by how dedicated this book was to teaching its readers about binge eating. I’ve read countless books on the subject but still found myself learning new things in each chapter. Christopher is certainly an expert on the subject, and I’m happy to have him expand my knowledge even more.

With that being said, I’m happy to recommend this book to all readers who aren’t triggered by conversations about purging. The program in the book is simple and effective, and the writer is compassionate and helpful.

Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher Fairburn: Conclusion

I listened to this as an audiobook, but sadly, I can’t seem to find it anywhere now. It’s like the audiobook disappeared off the internet. It’s unfortunate because the man narrating sounded a bit like Tina from Bob’s Burgers, and I really enjoyed it *chuckles*.

I waited for a while to post this review, hoping the audiobook would resurface. When it does pop up again, I’ll make sure it gets added so you can find it. Regardless, here is the book in eBook and paperback forms so you can enjoy it too!

Click below for quick links to the book on Amazon!

• Overcoming Binge Eating: Paperback
• Overcoming Binge Eating: eBook

Have you ever read Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher Fairburn? What did you think? Let me know in the comment section!

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews of books about binge eating and weight loss!

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