Binge-eating mystery affecting millions of women may finally be solved: study

For millions of women, the sudden urge to polish off a pint of ice cream or demolish an entire bag of chips can feel impossible to explain.Now, new research suggests a widely used medication may be playing a bigger role than previously thought.A study published in JAMA found that women were significantly more likely to binge eat on certain days, and the trigger wasn’t stress, bad moods or other medications.Instead, researchers discovered a hormonal connection that could help explain why some women experience powerful food cravings and episodes of overeating.The findings shed new light on binge eating, a serious but often misunderstood condition that disproportionately affects girls and women and is linked to depression, substance abuse and other health complications.The culprit, they found, is none other than combined oral contraceptives, better known as the birth control pill.Combined oral contraceptives are the most commonly prescribed form of hormonal contraception and is used by 85% of women at some point in their lives, according to a 2012 study.Researchers tracked 422 women ages 15 to 30 from the Michigan State University Twin Registry over 49 consecutive days, roughly two menstrual cycles.Participants also recorded their daily use of active and inactive birth control pills, along with episodes of overeating.The study found that binge eating increased on days when women were taking active birth control pills compared with days they were taking inactive (or placebo) pills.Notably, the association remained even after researchers accounted for factors that could influence eating behavior, including negative moods and use of other medications.

The pill also did not appear to have a significant affect on weight preoccupation.Researchers observed another intriguing trend: As participants continued documenting their eating habits throughout the study, binge eating episodes generally declined.The finding suggests that simply tracking behavior may help some women be...