Bulimia Nervosa – Eating Disorder Facts

Bulimia Nervosa

People with bulimia nervosa tend to binge on food and then compensate for the calories by purging — by deliberate vomiting or inducing diarrhea with laxatives, exercising excessively, or fasting. The binging part of bulimia is different from simply overeating; people with bulimia feel out of control when binging and eat way beyond being full.

Like anorexia, bulimia primarily affects women and begins during adolescence or early adulthood. Experts estimate that 1.5 percent to 3 percent of women have bulimia and they tend to be of normal weight or are overweight. Research shows that about half of those with anorexia go on to have bulimia.

People with bulimia tend to:

* Binge at least twice a week for three months
* Feel as if they can’t control eating binges
* Think constantly about food and their weight
* Eat in secret and very quickly
* Binge until there’s no food left, someone interrupts them, or their stomach is very uncomfortable
* Feel guilty after the binge and may purge, drastically restrict food later, or exercise excessively
* Binging and purging can cause serious problems, such as an imbalance in electrolytes (minerals in your blood and bodily fluids), dehydration, and heart problems. It can even cause sudden death.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by intermittent consumption of large quantities of food followed by compensation for this binge eating behavior by unhealthful means to avoid weight gain. Unlike in anorexia nervosa, affected persons are usually normal weight or may be overweight. Warning signs and symptoms include:

* Rapidly eating large amounts of food, often alone or secretively (binge-eating)
* A sense of loss of control over eating
* Excessive dissatisfaction with body shape and weight
* Feelings of shame and secrecy concerning bulimic behaviors
* Self-induced vomiting or intermittent starvation
* Excessive exercise
* Abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills