Binge and Excess

Consuming too much and consuming too quickly are generally considered disorders and may be socially, morally, or medically dangerous. Binge and excess are aspects of both the timing and the amount of consumption. To binge is to consume a great deal at once, typically after a period of abstinence or poverty. Excess, like poverty, is a relative concept, always defined in reference to some socially defined standard of consumption. The same kind of consumption defined as excessive in one setting may be considered perfectly normal in others. Both binge and excess carry strong connotations of overconsumption and are frequently the subjects of moral and legal sanctions, which link them to individual weakness in the face of temptation, greed, and antisocial or self-destructive behavior. Most major ...