They aren't really called "eating disorders" anymore. There are 3 types of disordered eating: Anorexia, Bullimia, and Binge Eating. I'm not going to talk about anorexia and bulimia in this entry, because most of you know what those are. However, I'm glad that the new category of Binge Eater has come into fashion, because the psychological processes that go into anorexia and bullimia are at work with Binge Eaters. Girls' college dorms notwithstanding, society actually blurs the line between overeating and binge eating. Anorexia and Bulimia tend to be socially acceptable in niche groups. Binge Eating is socially accepted anywhere.
Binge Eating is when someone turns to food to process emotional pain, but in a one-time event (but multiple one-time events occur over time). It could be an incident that causes emotional pain, or it could be the person being reminded of unresolved hurt. The binge event doesn't last more than a day--in fact, it probably lasts only hours.
Now, I'm not talking about someone who's out for a pizza party and overindulges. Binge episodes tend to happen in isolation, and there may be a lot of time which elapses between the episodes. They tend to happen with junk food. And they tend to be pre-meditated in that the person goes out shopping for the junk food with the intention of eating it all when he/she gets home. The binge event also has the person in a certain "disconnect" with their consumption. It's kinda like they aren't aware they are eating while they are eating. But for sure, they always feel the guilt for the binge afterward.
Binge Eaters differ from Bulimics in that bulimics purge each time they eat to eliminate the calories consumed. They may eat an extraordinary amount of calories, and then purge with laxatives or vomiting. Binge Eaters don't purge, nor do they want to purge. They just want to feel better. After the food has been eaten, the guilt comes and is processed. The person punishes him/herself for the "bad thing" they just did. Interestingly enough, it brings relief that they can finally identify a feeling and its cause.
I have yet to meet anyone suffering from food issues who says, "Wow! I have food issues and I'm so excited! I just love it!" Binge eaters, especially, are aware they have a problem and they want to be better.