I looked into IF and decided against it for that reason. The documentation on it recommended longer feeding windows for women to the point that it didn't seem like intermittent fasting - it was just eating breakfast an hour later. I just looked it up again now [1] and I guess it does have to do with our hormones. Either way, I appreciate you speaking up to balance out the raves.
[1] http://paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-...
I tried to fast from 8PM to 11PM
Also, I think some studies show that the fasting period begins after 12h (others say 8h), but it's much more pronounced after 18h. So the more you fast, the better. But take it gradually the first few weeks.
As for binge-eating, you can also try eating normally every other day or every 3 days, especially in the beginning. Then the next day or two try to "compensate" and eat less in those fasting periods. But it's important to keep a low-carb diet, because a high-carb diet is also what makes you hungry more, and looking for sweets, too (and proven to lead to many chronic diseases).
As for the starvation response, it's really important to ensure your feeding window includes all of the needed macronutrients along with your calories. Doubly important if you're training/exercising regularly.
Female hormones are also tied to fat intake, so I'd speculate that ensuring you're ingesting enough fats is probably more important than for men too.
I am just adding this comment because, invariably articles on food & health results in comments about intermittent fasting with glowing reviews. It really does marvels for some/many. There are also cases like me for whom it does seems to hurt. Maybe I am approaching it wrong. Just adding my anecdote for a balanced view.