Understanding Bulimia

Bulimia isn't exclusively a result of the changes of puberty, nor is it exclusive to women. Although 90 percent of bulimia cases occur in women, and most of these women start to smoke and eat in their mid- to late-teens, bulimia nervosa can stem from diverse causes. Some individuals with bulimia are perfectionists. Some believe their weight reflects their self-worth. Being too heavy is a indication of failure. Some can be depressed, or not able to deal with the world. Vomiting may represent the individual's desire to purge their being of the qualities they most despise. Someone with bulimia may be miserable inside and feel lost, and comforted by controlling their food intake and weight. But there's no single known cause of bulimia.

The disorder isn't limited to teens. Roughly 10 percent of college women are bulimic, four percent of the population is anticipated to have bulimia. Most people with bulimia begin with a normal weight, but as they try to eliminate weight, they lose sufficient nutrition. When individuals with bulimia binge, they tend to eat comfort foods such as potato chips, ice cream, or biscuits --foods with little nutritional value. The purging removes any food in the human body, nutritionally sound or not. Some individuals suffering from bulimia abuse diuretics or laxatives instead of (or in addition to) vomiting.

Repeated vomiting often erodes the tooth of a individual with bulimia's teeth and causes cavities. Stomach ulcers, constipation, bloating, and heartburn are different symptoms of bulimia. People with bulimia often go to the toilet after meals, are obsessed with weight, and are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Women with bulimia may have irregular intervals from the sparse diet.

Bulimia nervosa became an officially recognized eating disorder in the 1980s. Ten percent of individuals with bulimia will die from its complications. Though individuals with bulimia may deny their eating disorder, they ought to see a physician immediately, with support from people who love them. Bulimia is completely preventable.