Have Researchers Just Discovered How to Cure Binge Eating Disorder?

Researchers appear to have found a new way to treat binge eating disorder: brain surgery. According to two patients who underwent the procedure, the experiment yielded positive results. They claim to have fewer cravings a year later and have more control over their brain.

The pilot study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, included just six participants. Researchers used deep brain stimulation for their brains, a first in the case of binge eating disorder. Surgeons planted a device in the patients’ brains, just under the scalp, that was programmed to recognize a craving for binge eating and zap the brain to manage the impulse.

Photo by Artem Labunsky via Unsplash

While the researchers explain that there’s no physical sensation for patients when the device triggers its zap, it could affect their mood.

Experts explain that the binge eating disorder is the result of a brain mistake. People don’t eat because they just can’t control themselves; Your brain is sending the wrong signals, creating an imbalance.

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While the researchers are optimistic about the study’s findings, they are also open about the inherent risks of brain surgery. Still, patients spoke to NBC News and were delighted with their results, which some said were immediate. “Within a few days, I could tell the cravings were under control,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking about food all the time,” said Robyn Baldwin, a 58-year-old woman from California.

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Although the results are promising, the participants who discussed their results are women of a similar age who are overweight. This means that it is not known at this time whether these effects will be replicated in other patients. Still, it’s an important first step and an exciting finding for millions of people struggling with binge eating disorder.