Binge eating, through a Latino prism

The compulsive disorder is chronically underdiagnosed in the community, a nationwide survey concludes

- BY ANDREA FLORES

Food always powered Anahi Araiza through study sessions and cultural gatherings. But after putting on some weight in her college years, she decided to get serious about weight loss, often restricting her food consumption overall — and that’s when everything shifted.

“One day, I overate whatever calories or macros I established for myself,” says Araiza in a phone call. “Then it turned into a spiral where every single day I was unable to do anything but think about food.”

After a while, she developed binge eating disorder (BED), which is defined as repeated episodes of binge eating, or eating large amounts of food quickly.

BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States, yet it is chronically underdiagnosed among Latino communities.

Araiza describes the disorder as “unbearable.” The thought of food and eating was always lingering in her mind, affecting her quality of life when she studied abroad and at school.

“It felt compulsive, like there was nothing I could do to stop myself from eating,” she says.

In a nationwide survey conducted by Equip — a virtual eating disorder treatment program — more than 70% of Latino respondents reported experiencing at least one disordered eating behavior in the past, with the most common behaviors being restrictive (52%) and binge eating (37%).

However, only 12% reported having been formally diagnosed with an eating disorder.

“I would say that it’s very under-recognized because in the United States providers are trained to look for eating disorders more through a white, Western lens,” says Ana Gardner, a therapist with Equip who specializes in eating disorders in Latin American culture and first-generation immigrants.