Eating Disorders

Bulimia Nervosa

The world we live in has always been much too focused on the physical. Even if everyone knows and acknowledges that what’s important is the ‘beauty inside’, it still doesn’t change the fact that people still put much stock on what they see outside when they judge a person. Since being thin is a vital aspect in today’s concept of beauty, a lot of people want to be thin; some even want to be super model thin.

Unfortunately, “thin” by today’s standards, is something that’s horribly hard to achieve. You can be sure that you’ll have to forsake all the best tasting foods just to get the desired body weight. So, in truth, most people don’t really go as far as the supermodels do. After all, supermodels get paid to do what they do. Regular folk, on the other hand, don’t need to stick by such a rigid diet, especially when there’s strawberry soufflé to be had. That’s just the way of the world; you can’t have your cake and eat it at the same time.

Those with Bulimia Nervosa, however, are trying to get around this simple principle. You can call it ‘cheating’ but in reality, it’s just paying a far larger price for external “beauty” than it’s really worth. They’re paying for it with their health.

What is Bulimia Nervosa?

Bulimia Nervosa is one of the most common eating disorders nowadays, with a prevalence rate that is three times than that of Anorexia Nervosa. Of course, this is quite understandable. After all, how many times have we wished for the ability to eat everything we want and not get fat?

People with Bulimia Nervosa have found a way to achieve this. They would go on an eating binge, taking in all the food they want. After this binge, they would start ‘purging’ the food out of their system. The most common form of ‘purging’ would be self-induced vomiting, which they do by tickling the back of the throat with their fingers. Other forms of purging include exercising excessively and using laxatives.

As expected, Bulimia Nervosa is more common in women than in men; in fact, most eating disorders are more common in women than in men. Its onset can occur at any point in a person’s life. However, it mostly happens during the late teens when body image is a big issue. If left untreated, Bulimia may last until adulthood.

According to statistics, eight out of every one hundred women suffer from bulimia in their lifetime. Ten out of every eleven sufferers, moreover, are female.

What causes Bulimia Nervosa?

The cause of Bulimia Nervosa, like other psychiatric disorders, has not yet been pinpointed exactly. Studies suggest that this disease can be linked to genetics and that it might involve a disruption in the serotonin system of the brain. Others say that it’s because of a person’s experiences while he/she was a child plus his or her experiences as an adult. Most probably, the true cause of Bulimia Nervosa is a combination of all the different factors: biological, psychological and sociological.

Some people, however, are more at risk of Bulimia than others. First of all, if there’s a family history of Bulimia or any other eating disorder, the family members are more susceptible to Bulimia. Mood disorders like depression may also precipitate eating disorders like Bulimia. In fact, other psychiatric disorders have been shown to have a high comorbidity with Bulimia Nervosa as well as the other eating disorders. This is especially true in cases of borderline personality disorder and depression. Of course, due to the nature of this disorder, substance abuse, particularly of laxatives and emetics, is also a very common occurrence and is present in about 40% of Bulimia Nervosa cases.

People who are holding jobs where maintaining a certain body weight is a premium are also at risk for Bulimia. Gymnasts, models, and dancers are particularly prone to Bulimia Nervosa, especially if they are particularly dedicated to their careers.

What are the Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa?

People with Bulimia would go on a binge because eating gives them comfort. However, after they have eaten too much, they feel guilty for losing control. They subsequently feel dirty and disgusted with themselves. The fear of gaining weight also kicks in and adds its own brand of pressure. To get rid of all these negative feelings, they will purge the food out of their system.

The process of purging does a lot of damage in the long term, especially if left untreated. Repeated vomiting could actually lead to the corrosion of the lining on the esophagus. It may also cause sore throat, mouth ulcers, tooth decay, halitosis, and stomach problems. The repeated use of laxatives, on the other hand, would make a person dependent on them; specifically, the colon may become too weak to function normally and expel waste regularly so a person will become dependent on laxatives for bowel movement. Purging through laxatives may also cause dehydration and severe electrolyte imbalances.

All types of purging, on the other hand, will eventually lead to kidney and heart problems and are thus extremely dangerous and even lethal. Many other health problems can occur along with Bulimia Nervosa. Osteoporosis can happen because a person’s supply of vitamins and minerals may become too deficient.

How to Tell If Someone Has Bulimia

Bulimia Nervosa is different from Anorexia Nervosa. Those who are afflicted with Bulimia are not necessarily very thin. They may have a normal body weight and may sometimes even border on the plus side. Unlike people with Anorexia Nervosa, moreover, those who have Bulimia are aware that they have a problem and they usually take specific precautions to conceal it. The only way that you can really determine whether or not someone has Bulimia Nervosa would be to monitor a person’s behavior. Those who have the habit of going to the bathroom right after she eats should be watched closely. Likewise, those who are rather secretive about food and hides her food from others should also be monitored. Furthermore, those who are so obsessive about exercise that they still perform strenuous exercises even when they are feeling unwell may also be suffering from Bulimia.

Those who have this disorder also tend to faint often due to malnutrition. They base their self-worth on their weight and often overreact if they gain weight. Teeth marks or calluses on the back of someone’s hands may also be a sign of bulimia; such marks are obtained due to the repetitive insertion of their hands into their mouths to induce vomiting. Most of all, when someone tends to overeat but does not gain weight, she probably has Bulimia.