Crave a good book on binge eating?

I had the opportunity to read a pre-press copy of Dr. Cynthia Bulik's book, Crave, a while back. I'm glad I did.

My consciousness has been raised especially in the last year on the topic of binge eating disorder (BED). I can thank Chevese Turner for part of that: the head of BEDA is holding the whole eating disorder world's feet to the fire on this one.

There is a lot to learn about BED, about effective treatment, and about how it relates to other eating disorders and disordered eating. But what we do know is that patients need and deserve help and better treatment. So do their families.

Bulik's book has some interesting elements to it. One is that the reader hears directly from the author. This is from "me" to "you" without a distancing tone. Yet this book has authority: Bulik is a recognized world leader in eating disorders and their treatment. The book also avoids equating an illness with a person: she isn't pathologizing people into a label. By breaking the types of binge eating into categories, Bulik is trusting her readers to find themselves and their own solutions.

I lent the book to a friend who told me her husband was struggling with "eating too much" and how the two of them were having escalating conflict over the issue. I got a call the week later that was tearful and deeply grateful. She said reading the book helped HER as much as it helped HIM. She said positive changes started immediately in their home and the conflict went down overnight. The family is working together now, and progress is being made. What better recommendation for a book?