Eating Disorder - Bulimia Nervosa

By Michael Russell

Bulimia was first diagnosed only in the 1980s. The word Bulimia, which is Latin or Boulimia, which is Greek, means extreme hunger.

In this eating disorder, the individual binges and then purges which can be in the form of vomiting, exercising to excess or using laxatives or enemas, in order to try and get rid of the excess calories. This takes place in a cycle of binging and purging. It is considered to be a psychological condition related to insecurity, depression, self-esteem or anxiety and not a response to hunger. During these binging/purging cycles, the individual has no control over the situation. This is followed by a sense of calmness then followed by a sense of self-loathing.

The binging varies from individual to individual; in one person a binge may be considered to be the consumption of even a small toffee whilst in another person it may be a whole meal with a calorie value of anything from about 1000 to 20000 calories.

This is an eating disorder found very commonly in girls in their late teens and early adulthood. However, it does affect all types of individuals, even older women. Men do suffer from bulimia but very rarely. In this condition, the individual may even steal food or even eat from dustbins in order to satisfy the compulsion. They are aware of what they are doing and sometimes feel ashamed of it, very often therefore these binges occur in secret. Hence it is very difficult to say if a person is suffering from Bulimia and also most bulimics look either of normal weight or sometimes a little overweight.

In bulimics, the only source of comfort is food. However, sufferers of bulimia often realize they have a problem and generally would seek help for it.

Causes of bulimia

There is no exact known cause of bulimia. However, it is supposed to be as a result of a person not being satisfied with his/her body shape. It is also said to be a genetic problem. Individuals who also suffer from low self-esteem and fear becoming fat, tend to become bulimic. It is more to do with psychological issues rather than issues concerned with food.

Some other causes may be:

In people who have problems showing anger, or have a difficult time coping with impulsive behavior. . Women from a particular culture are under pressure to have a perfect figure, with so much of images of flawlessness and shapely females all over the place. This is not only true of women but become increasingly important for men too, that is, to have a good physique. . Changes in jobs, competition, traumatic events all can bring about bulimia. . Parental pressure on their children to maintain a shapely or thin figure can be another reason for children to become bulimic.

Some signs that an individual could be bulimic:

Eating in secret, binge eating, fluctuations in weight usually ranging between ten and fifteen pounds, constant vomiting leading to swollen and soreness in the salivary glands, using diet pills or laxatives, rigorous exercising, depression and mood swings, muscle weakness and fatigue, teeth getting decayed because of constantly being exposed to gastric juices which are acidic, heart beat is irregular, sore throat, suicidal tendencies, fasting, visiting the bathroom after every meal, always seeking other people's approval, broken blood vessels especially in the eyes.

There are essentially three types of Bulimia Nervosa. They are Simple Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexic Bulimia Nervosa and multi-impulsive Bulimia Nervosa.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Eating Disorders

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