Binge Eating Triggered by a Parasite

Researchers from Spain recently reported what may be the first recorded case of binge eating disorder brought on by a parasitic intestinal disease (Int J Eat Disord 2001; 30:107). A 19-year-old woman had bizarre and frequent bouts of overeating and extreme loss of weight. The mystery was cleared up once it was found that she had an infestation with Taenia solium, the solitary tapeworm, acquired by eating undercooked pork. After successful treatment, the patient continued to have frequent binge-eating episodes and inappropriate eating patterns and gained weight over a normal range. No purging was detected.