The super-popular but little-studied keto diet places specific guidelines on how much of each macronutrient to eat each day, with daily calories usually being made up of 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and 5 percent carbs. This means drastic cuts to the typical American’s carb intake, usually amounting to no more than 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates per day, says Colleen O’Sullivan, a member of the nutrition services team at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center in Lemont, Illinois. This sort of restrictive keto diet food list can be problematic for someone with binge eating disorder, which involves eating large amounts of food and feeling unable to stop. According to the Mayo Clinic, restricting your diet can make the problem worse and lead to more bingeing. It seems counterintuitive, but many people with binge eating disorder want to lose weight, which is one reason they may be drawn to the diet. “Individuals struggling with binge eating who desire to lose weight may see the keto diet as a way to obtain that goal,” says Johnny Williamson, MD, the medical director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center. “By committing to the limitations of the keto diet, it can give them a result that is pleasing to them.” RELATED: The Possible Benefits and Risks of the Keto Diet But does the diet ultimately help or hurt? Dive into each side of the argument here.
Can Keto Cause Binge Eating Disorder or Other Eating Disorders?
Let’s get one thing out of the way: There isn’t concrete evidence that shows following the keto diet will lead to an eating disorder. The real problem seems to be among people who already have an iffy relationship with food. “I believe it’s unlikely that a keto diet can independently cause an eating disorder,” Dr. Williamson says. “However, it’s possible that those vulnerable to developing an eating disorder could identify with the keto diet and then utilize its principles to act on and manage their eating disorder behaviors.” According to the Mayo Clinic, one of the symptoms of binge eating disorder is feeling that your eating habits are out of control. The thinking is that sticking to a restrictive diet will help you reel it back in. But that plan likely will backfire. “If you restrict one food group, your body is going to crave what it is lacking, and often for someone who struggles with control, they will binge on a food once they have access to it,” O’Sullivan says. RELATED: The 11 Biggest Keto Diet Dangers You Need to Know About It doesn’t help that many people report the keto diet is difficult to stick to. One study published in August 2013 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes that difficult tolerability is one of the major drawbacks of the diet. At some point, it’s possible you’ll give up the diet in favor of bingeing on “off-limits” foods, such as bread, baked goods, and candy. “When a ‘slip’ is made, users — especially those with preexisting eating disorders like binge eating disorder — tend to then engage in intense binges,” says Heather Russo, a regional assistant vice president and site director for the Renfrew Center of Los Angeles. “One can only restrict their intake so long.” Falling off the wagon can take an emotional toll. “The shame that comes with veering from such a rigid diet can wreak havoc on an already fragile mental health,” Russo says. “Thoughts of being a failure and hopelessness can arise quickly.” The keto diet may lead to another eating disorder called orthorexia, which is an obsessiveness of healthy eating, O’Sullivan says. It can also influence some other excessive behaviors. “If you have the mind-set that you can’t eat certain food groups, you open a door to other things you shouldn’t be doing, such as over-exercising,” O’Sullivan says. RELATED: The Short- and Long-Term Health Effects of the Keto Diet
Can Keto Help Cure Binge Eating Disorder?
Not everyone buys the argument that keto can cause issues with binge eating, and there’s even some chatter on the internet that following the diet can help some people overcome their bingeing issues. One argument is that the high-fat foods encouraged on the diet (such as avocado, nuts, and olive oil) leave people feeling satisfied and makes bingeing less appealing. The other reason is the control aspect mentioned earlier. “Perhaps individuals feel they can control their binge eating disorder on their own if they commit to a fad diet,” O’Sullivan says. Many of these people may also experience massive weight loss and a new sense of freedom with food, which sounds ideal to someone struggling with binge eating disorder, Russo says. But there’s no research to support the idea that the diet can help cure an eating disorder, and O’Sullivan says that theory is overly simplistic. “Diets don’t cure anything — they are a temporary Band-Aid,” she says, adding that truly curing an eating disorder takes a lot of work (including psychological, social, and spiritual), and often requires the help of a therapist, nutritionist, doctor, or psychiatrist. O’Sullivan says it’s essential to nail down the underlying issue that’s leading to a troubled relationship with food rather than think of a diet as the cure. RELATED: 8 Steps Every Beginner Should Take Before Trying the Keto Diet
A Final Word on Keto and Binge Eating Disorder
The keto diet has been anecdotally shown to help many people lose weight temporarily and may offer health benefits for certain people, preliminary research suggests. In particular, the keto diet has been used to help treat epilepsy in children since the 1920s, according to the Epilepsy Society. That said, it’s clear that keto is not for everyone, and it appears to be especially risky for people with a history of eating disorders. “The restrictive aspects of the keto diet can increase the risk of some individuals responding by bingeing on food,” Williamson says. For most people, adopting a restrictive diet could end up promoting bingeing behavior, and fails to address the underlying issues. “Changing food behaviors will never offer those struggling with binge eating disorder real solace,” Russo says. “Only the emotional work can offer that.”
