The Tragic Story Of My 600-Lb Life's Sarah Neeley

While we're overjoyed for Sarah Neeley's newfound sobriety and lease on life, it's interesting to note that scientists and psychologists have found that the connection between what Sarah has described in the past as binge-eating and substance abuse stem from the same place.

According to a study published by Comprehensive Psychiatry in 2011, scientists interviewed 127 patients with binge eating disorder (or BED) and found that those with a parental history of substance use disorder (SUD) were "significantly more likely to start binge eating before dieting, had a significantly earlier age at BED onset, and reported less time between binge eating onset and meeting diagnostic criteria for BED," as opposed to those who grew up in household environments in which parents did not battle substance abuse issues.

Without having these issues treated (more so in the case of SUD) or recognized by a medical professional (in the case of BED), children were more likely to develop binge eating behaviors that eventually morphed with other comorbidities, resulting in a dual diagnosis of BED with mood disorders — things that can, in some circumstances, also lead to self-medication in other places.