According to experts, people who are binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders. In the United States, people with this condition are estimated at 3 percent of the adult population. This is seen more in adults at the age of 46 to 55 and more common in women than men. There is no specific cause of this problem but experts believe that this may be caused by depression and other emotional problems.

People who binge eats normally eat large amount of food and can’t control their abnormal eating habit. Other signs that a person has this eating disorder are eating faster than normal, they eat until uncomfortably full and eating large amount of food even if they are not hungry. Others may also eat alone because they are ashamed of the amount of food they eat and they normally feel disgusted, depressed or guilty after overeating.

People with a binge eating disorder are usually obese. This is one of the causes of obesity and overweight. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, people who are obese and have binge eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder. They often experience weight cycling or “yo-yo dieting” wherein they lose or gain weight more often.

Many health complications are also attributed to people with this eating disorder. They are also prone to stress, trouble sleeping, and suicidal tendencies. There were reported cases where binge eaters encounter joint pain, digestive problems, headache, muscle pain, and menstrual problems. And since this condition leads to obesity, more serious health problems may occur like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

To avoid complications, binge eaters are advised to address their condition. There are some who try to lose weight on their own but it usually fails because the disorder is not properly treated. A long term weight loss can only be achieved if the person will be able to control his binge eating. For health experts, the weight loss program for an individual with a binge eating disorder should be different from the ordinary weight loss programs. Losing weight without the supervision of a health care professional may just worsen the condition.

The NIDDK suggests that the condition should be handled by a a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. The specific treatments that can be given to people with binge eating disorder are cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and drug therapy. The combination of these treatments has shown that it effectively treats obese or overweight people with eating disorders. Other treatments may also include dialectical behavior therapy, weight-loss surgery or bariatric surgery, exercise, self-help books and group sessions.

If you feel that you are already overweight or obese, consult your doctor to know if this is not caused by another health condition. People with binge eating disorders may not realize that they have this condition or may not accept that they are actually suffering from an eating disorder.

There are different herbs that can help you in losing weight. These herbs will “trick” the brain into thinking that your stomach is full hence you don’t have the urge to eat constantly in a day while there are also those herbs that will speed up the body’s metabolism.

Herbs that promote metabolism are known as thermogenic and contain substances like caffeine that speed up body functions like heart rate, digestion, and respiration. Examples of thermogenic herbs are green tea, nettle, and dandelion. The good thing is that these herbs are safe to use as compared to other herbs available which also promote weight loss.

Other herbs also act as diuretics or water reducers hence causing water weight loss. Buchu and uva-ursi will help in eliminating your body with the excess fluid. The only setback however is that the weight will only return once taking of these herbs is stopped. As mentioned there are also herbs which prove to be harmful to the body.

It is important that you avoid these herbs as the Food and Drug Administration has found them to cause serious side effects and can even be fatal. The herbal laxatives are usually sold as diet tea, cascara, senna, buckthorn, aloe and rhubard rood. These will cause cramping, diarrhea. And once overused, you could be very dependent on them and could cause your bowels to not function without laxative stimulation.

Another dangerous herb is the ephedra or also known as ma huang. Once taken in high doses, it can raise your blood pressure, increase heart rate, and over stimulate your body’s central nervous system. According to FDA, there are more than 800 reports of ephedra side effects such as heart palpitations, seizures, stroke, heart attack and chest pain. There are also reports that this herb has caused the death of at least two persons.

There is also the herbal fen-phen, wherein ephedra is the main ingredient in the version of this dangerous diet drug. This herb is not even shown to work in clinical trials and the misuse of it can lead to severe side effects.

And of course, there are also herbs that are compatible with weight loss. Among them is cayenne. It contains an ingredient called capsaicin that stimulates saliva and digestion. It is also known to speed up the metabolism at a safer level. So, this might be the right time for you to start sprinkling a dash of cayenne on your food. Seaweed is a good source of trace minerals like chromium and iodine. It is also known as a thyroid stimulant.

Now that you know some of the good and bad herbs for weight loss, you should start exploring your herbal options. The most important consideration is your health and these herbal remedies should be viewed with the same precaution as taking any medication. If you want to integrate herbs as part of your daily diet, make some researches first to know the pros and cons.

Looking for the best exercise that would guarantee excellent weight loss results? Then, you can try swimming. This activity is considered as one of the best forms of exercise as it uses almost all of the major muscle groups. It also places a vigorous demand on the heart and lungs.

But in a certain study, researchers were able to compare collegiate swimmer and collegiate runners. As compared to swimmers, the runners had lower body fat levels. And according to Professor Louise Burke of the Australian Institute of Sport, competitive swimmers have body levels that are higher than those of runners or cyclists who use the same amount of energy when they train.

Also, Professor Grant Gwinup compared walking, cycling and swimming for almost three month. Each program began with up to 10 minutes of daily exercise. The time of each workout was increased by five minutes every week. Results show that subjects who walked or cycled lost weight but swimmers gained weight.

Similar study was conducted in University of Utah as it compared the effects of aerobic exercise in water over walking on land on weight loss. 13 weeks after, all three groups lost an average of 5.9 kilograms in weight. There was however no significant differences between groups. The swimmers were able to lose just as much weight as those who performed land-based walking program.

If you will notice, one study show that swimming is just effective as walking but the other study is the complete opposite. A close scrutiny of the result reveals the reason behind it. The typical temperature range for swimming pool is between 25.5 and 27.8 degrees Celsius. Swimming in cold water will stimulate ones appetite so that you can eat more. Many people feel extremely hungry after swimming especially if the water is cold. As a result, they simply replace all the calories burned after swimming with a large post-exercise meal, hence completely wiping out any potential weight loss benefits of swimming.

This fact is actually proven by the study of University of Florida. Researchers examined the effect of water temperature on calorie intake after exercise. 11 men exercised for 45 minutes in “neutral” and “cold” water temperatures. After the workout, they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. The men burned a similar number of calories in the cold and neutral water conditions, averaging 505 and 517 calories, respectively. However, calorie intake after exercise in the cold water averaged 877 calories, which was 44% more than for the neutral temperature.

As a conclusion, all forms of exercise are good ways of losing weight. A mixture of exercise and proper diet is even better. But if you prefer swimming as your form of exercise, you just need to be consistent with your program. Losing calories is not just about burning calories then you eat. Any form of exercise will help you achieve weight loss. You just have to make sure that you guard against the constant urge of eating more right after you get out of the pool.