Binge eating disorder (
BED) is characterized by
binge eating without subsequent purging episodes. The disorder was first described in 1959 by
psychiatrist and
researcher Albert Stunkard as "
night eating syndrome" (NES), and the term "binge eating " was coined to describe the same binging-type eating behavior without the exclusive
nocturnal component. Binge eating is one of the most prevalent eating disorders among adults, though there tends to be less media coverage and research about the disorder in comparison to
anorexia nervosa and
bulimia nervosa. Previously considered a topic for further research exploration, binge eating disorder was included in the eating disorders section of the
DSM-5 in 2013.