Most people with this problem are either overweight or obese, but people of normal weight can also have the disorder.
About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10 to 15 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight-loss programs have binge eating disorder. The disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.
Binge eating disorder is twice as common among women as among men. The disorder is found in all ethno-cultural and racial populations.
People who are obese and have binge eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder. They might also lose and gain back weight more often, or be paranoid about gaining weight.