過食

• Reading: かしょく
• Romaji: kashoku
• Kanji breakdown: 過 (ka) — excess, over, surpass; 食 (shoku/ta) — eat, food, meal
• Pronunciation: /ka.ɕo.kɯ/

Meaning

Overeating; binge eating; consuming excessive amounts of food beyond what the body needs.

Used in both medical and psychiatric contexts, notably in 過食症 (binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa). Often contrasted with 拒食 (food refusal/anorexia) when discussing eating disorders (摂食障害). May also be used in everyday conversation without clinical implication to describe simply eating too much. Stress eating (ストレス過食) is a frequently discussed pattern.

Examples

1. ストレスが溜まると過食になりやすいと医師に言われた。 The doctor told me that I'm prone to overeating when stress builds up.
2. 過食と絶食を繰り返す不規則な食習慣が体を壊していった。 Alternating between binge eating and fasting created an irregular eating pattern that took a toll on my body.
3. 過食症の治療には、心理的なアプローチが不可欠だ。 Treating binge eating disorder requires a psychological approach.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, psychiatry, eating disorders, daily life, health

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 過 (ka, excess/over) and 食 (shoku/ta, eat/food). Together they mean eating in excess, literally going beyond the normal amount of eating.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General