About Bulimia
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by excessive eating
followed by excessive action to offset the amount of food consumed.
There are two types of bulimia: purging and non-purging. Bulimics who
purge will eat uncontrollably and then cause themselves to vomit, or use
laxatives or diuretics to lose weight. Non-purging bulimics try to lose
weight by excessive dieting, use of diet pills, fasting or exercise. In
the beginning of the disease, these excessive weight loss measures may be
effective, but as bulimia progresses many people find that they don't
lose weight as readily, and may instead gain weight.
| Fast Facts: Even though attitudes toward weight loss
have
changed over the centuries, Bulimia is not unique to our time.
Symptoms of the disease were recorded by the ancient Egyptians,
Greeks and Romans; the word "bulimia," which literally
means "ox hunger," was coined by the Greeks. |
Most experts agree that the psychological disorders that
cause bulimia run deeper than weight loss and body image issues. Often,
people with bulimia have addictive personalities and may abuse alcohol or
drugs. Eventually, they may become addicted to the bulimic behavior. People
with bulimia may also suffer from clinical depression or
obsessive-compulsive disorder. They usually recognize that their actions
toward food are not normal, and they are ashamed of their bulimic
tendencies.
There are many life-threatening consequences of bulimia, including:
- Electrolyte imbalances that may lead to heart and circulation
disorders, and, in some cases, cardiac arrest
- Damage to digestive organs, including esophageal and stomach ulcers
and intestinal disorders
- Liver and kidney damage
- Severe dehydration
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