Eating Disorder - Bulimia Versus Anorexia

By Michael Russell

There are several similarities and differences between Anorexia and Bulimia.

Similarities:

. Both Anorexia and Bulimia usually start in people after a time of dieting. These individuals generally go on a diet as they are obsessed with the fact of having perfect bodies, or are afraid of becoming obese, or have problems with anxiety, stress or even depression, or being a perfectionist. Therefore, sufferers of both eating disorders are obsessed with weight, appearance and food.

. Both anorexia and bulimia affect the internal organs.

. They are both life threatening eating disorders.

. Both bulimics and anorexics, regardless of how they look, they always are under the impression that they are overweight.

. Depression, fatigue and heart failure are three conditions suffered by both bulimics and anorexics.

. Excessive exercising in both.

Differences:

. Anorexics and Bulimics are both concerned about the opinions of other people, however bulimics tend to be more worried about being appealing to others and about pleasing others and having close relationships with people. As a result, they tend to be more active and sexually more experienced.

. Bulimics eat large quantities of food and then vomit or take laxatives and exercise to avoid gaining weight, whereas anorexics starve, exercise constantly and avoid food with high calories to avoid gaining weight.

. Anorexics have more obsessions or obsessive qualities than bulimics that compel them to control their calorific intake so strictly.

. In bulimics, history of mood swings are longer, controlling their impulses is difficult, they get frustrated or bored easily when compared with anorexics.

. Anorexics lose more weight than bulimics.

. Almost one hundred percent of women with anorexia suffer from a condition call Amenorrhea in which there is an absence of menstruation, whereas it is only fifty percent in women who suffer from bulimia.

. Anorexia occurs mainly in adolescent girls. However, the numbers of boys who suffer from it are on the increase. Bulimia occurs mainly in women from the age of 20 - 25 years of age.

. Medical problems that arise from bulimia are constipation, pain in stomach, sometimes the esophagus may rupture due to frequency of vomiting, as a result of frequent vomiting the acid causes tooth decay. Medical problems that arise from anorexia are anemia, low blood pressure, dehydration, reduced bone density, kidney failure and muscle loss.

. Bulimics feel they are not in control of their behavior therefore they are more likely to admit their problem whereas anorexics feel they are in control of their behavior and are therefore less likely to admit their problem.

. The various signs and symptoms of bulimia are discolored teeth, puffy face, fingers are swollen, visit to the toilet after ever meal to purge. The various signs and symptoms of anorexia are wearing baggy clothes to hide weight loss, scanty hair and dry skin, moody, feels cold no matter what the weather may be, dizziness, avoids food, weighs food, counts calories, growth of fine hair on some parts of the body, takes diet pills.

. Treatment of bulimia is generally to get rid of the habit of binging and purging whereas the treatment of anorexia takes place in three stages that is to restore the weight lost, treat the underlying emotional problems such as depression, low self-esteem and achieve long-term recovery.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Eating Disorders

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