Cancer and Binge Eating

Abstract

Cancer and binge eating each place significant burden on individuals’ mental and physical health, which ultimately impacts the healthcare and public health sectors. While there has been a high volume of research on cancer and binge eating separately, the possibility of a relationship between cancer and binge eating is an important, yet understudied, topic for scientific research and discussion. In the current chapter, similarities between cancer and binge eating are highlighted, including the overlap of major known risk factors and psychological correlates of cancer and binge eating. Many risk factors for cancer development, such as obesity, low physical activity, poor nutrition, and substance use, are also associated with binge eating and related disorders. Additionally, many of the psychological correlates of binge eating are commonly experienced by individuals with cancer – e.g., negative affect, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity. From the cancer and binge-eating literatures, it is possible that there might be an association between cancer and binge eating, but the nature of the association is unclear. Future empirical research is needed to study the relationship between cancer and binge eating.