Though anorexia and bulimia get a lot of press, little attention is paid to the most common eating disorder: Binge eating. Binge eating can lead to obesity, diabetes and depression, and while many people overeat now and then, binge eating disorder involves frequent out-of-control overeating, and it can cause a person to feel shame, anxiety or guilt.

A recent study out of Dalhousie University found that perfectionists, especially, can be at risk of developing binge eating disorder. Binging is a form of escapism -- "Think about it -- when was the last time that you were rapidly eating a pizza and pondering a major life decision at exactly the same time?" study author Dr. Simon Sherry asks Science Daily -- so perfectionists may turn to binge eating as a way to distract themselves from overwhelming, negative feelings.

Card-carrying perfectionists -- binge eaters or not -- might be able to relate to this. When a perfectionist sets a goal and it isn't reached, it creates difficult feelings. Sherry's study found that a particular sub-group of perfectionists -- those who feel they're being judged by others -- are at a heightened risk of turning to food for solace.

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Shooting for perfection can undo what we try so hard to achieve, says Alice Domar, PhD. and author of Happy Without Being Perfect. I know this. I have a perfectionist personality. And while two little boys have taught me that I can't always have a perfectly-ordered house or a well-oiled schedule, while I know I won't ever have that unattainable Hollywood body, and while cancer has taught me that simply being alive really is enough, I still stumble on my perfectionist tendencies sometimes. Most of us do, says Domar for The Oprah Magazine (September 2008).

Think of the angst people feel when they cut a workout short. Does a few minutes really matter? Nope. What if we derail our diet because that chocolate brownie is just too hard to pass up? Need we give up on the whole day and eat like crap? No. Just eat the brownie, be OK with it, and get back on track.

The thing is, none of is perfect. And none of us ever will be. We are human. We have flaws, struggles, obstacles, backslides. Which is why Domar says we should cheer ourselves on for the mere fact that we are even thinking about positive change. Yes, it's the thought that counts. Not being perfect.

Here's how it works: I am thinking I will work out tomorrow. What if I don't get to it? Hard as it is to convince myself of this, I know it is OK. I can always catch a workout the next day. And that is good enough.

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Perfectionism is something that affects us all -- if you're not a perfectionist then you know someone who is. I myself am a semi-perfectionist (I'm sure some will argue there's no such thing!) because I'm a perfectionist in certain areas of my life but not all areas. But I still understand the process, and how trying to make everything "just right" all the time can really leave you feeling exhausted and drained.

So what to do? How to fight it? Become an imperfectionist, of course! But the trick is not to go overboard, as it's all about balance (isn't everything?). Here are some tips and ideas on how to make it happen:

• Most pressure (a.k.a. "stress") is self-imposed. Are you prioritizing things in the best way? You do realize that not everything can be #1, right? Take a good hard look at all the things that are bearing down on you everyday and consciously filter out the things that really aren't that important. And take a good hard look at how much effort you're putting into what tasks: is that really where your energy belongs? Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't, but odds are you're over-achieving in at least one area, at the expense of another (like your health).

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Being perfect, or more accurately trying to be perfect, is a very stressful endeavor. It's a proven fact.

A study looked at 50 middle-aged men, and those who rated highest on tests for perfectionism also rated highest on stress level tests and secreted the highest amount of the stress-related hormone, cortisol. The sad part, or the good part, about this (depending on how you look at it) is that perfectionism is largely self-inflicted. So we're bringing unnecessary stress on ourselves!

For you perfectionists out there: knowing this, can you stop? My guess is probably not (I know I can't!).

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