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What is bulimia?
By admin | August 15, 2007
Bulimia, just like anorexia nervosa, is considered an eating disorder. A person with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of time (binges) and then tries to prevent weight gain by getting rid of the food, called purging. Purging might be done by:
-making yourself throw up
-taking laxatives — pills or liquids that speed up the movement of food through your body and lead to a bowel movement
Bulimic person often exercises a lot, sometimes few times per day. A person with bulimia often feels a loss of control over their eating as well as guilt over their behavior. They are usually aware that their behavior is abnormal. Bulimia is most common in adolescent and young adult women. People with bulimia are often of normal or near-normal weight, which makes them different from people with anorexia (another eating disorder in which the person does not eat).
Bulimia is more than just a problem with food. A binge can be triggered by dieting, stress, or uncomfortable emotions, such as anger or sadness. Purging and other actions to prevent weight gain are ways for people with bulimia to feel more in control of their lives and ease stress and anxiety. There is no single known cause of bulimia, but there are some factors that may play a part.
- Culture. Women in the U.S. are under constant pressure to fit a certain ideal of beauty. Seeing images of flawless, thin females everywhere makes it hard for women to feel good about their bodies. More and more, men are also feeling pressure to have a perfect body.
- Families. If you have a mother or sister with bulimia, you are more likely to also have bulimia. Parents who think looks are important, diet themselves, or criticize their children’s bodies are more likely to have a child with bulimia.
- Life changes or stressful events. Traumatic events like rape, as well as stressful things like starting a new job, can lead to bulimia.
- Personality traits. Someone with bulimia may have low self-esteem or feel hopeless. She or he may be very moody, have problems expressing anger, or have a hard time controlling impulsive behaviors.
- Biology. Genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain may be factors in developing bulimia.
Symptoms are very hard to notice at first. Probably the earliest and most obvious sign of bulimia is an over-concern with weight and body shape. People with bulimia will try to hide their binging and purging behavior from others. Bulimia causes some abdominal pain, loss of cycle (women patients), fatigue, loss of energy…
Bulimia also causes great health problems, which include dehydration, hyponatremia, laxative dependence, teeth erosion and gum disease, peptic ulcers, swelling of the face and cheeks, especially apparent in the lower eyelids due to the high pressure of blood in the face during vomiting, voice damage, muscle atrophy, brittle skin, hair loss, high blood pressure, anemia, depression…
Treatment of this condition is easier when noticed in early stages. But, the problem is because bulimia is not that hard to hide, so help comes usually when this eating disorder becomes full part of patient’s life.
There are several residential treatment centers which offer long term support, counseling, and symptom interruption. The most popular form of treatment for the disorder involves some form of therapy, often group psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy . Anorexics and bulimics typically go through the same types of treatments and are members of these same treatment groups. This is because anorexia and bulimia often go hand in hand, and it is not unlikely that one has at some point participated in both. Some refer to this as “symptom swapping”. These forms of therapy address both the underlying issues which cause the patient to engage in these behaviors, as well as the actual food symptoms. In combination with therapy, many psychiatrists will prescribe anti-depressants or anti-psychotics. Anti-depressants come in different forms, and the most promising drug to respond to bulimia has been Prozac.
Bulimia Nervosa, just like Anorexia Nervosa, takes people’s lives. We need to be very observing of our family members and our friends, especially because these conditions are easy to hide and patients never admit to anything.
Topics: Eating Disorders, General Nutrition, Physical Health | No Comments »
