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What is Bulimia Nervosa?
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Eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa, involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food. While eating disorders are evident by a preoccupation with food, weight, and body shape, they are usually about far more than food. Eating disordered individuals often use food, and their control over it, as an attempt to compensate for underlying feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming. These individuals may engage in dieting, bingeing, purging, and excessive exercise to gain a sense of control. It is these very same behaviors that lessen their sense of personal control, competence, self-esteem, etc.
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Bulimia nervosa is characterized by a secretive cycle of bingeing and purging. This involves eating mass amounts of food, then engaging in compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, or ingesting laxatives or diuretics to eliminate the excessive calories taken in. Bulimics suffer from several medical consequences due to the binge-purge cycle involved in the disorder. These patterns affect the entire digestive system, and can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances.
Electrolyte imbalance is caused by dehydration and the loss of potassium and sodium from the body, and is a direct result of the purging behaviors.
Electrolyte and chemical imbalances cause irregular heartbeats and can ultimately lead to heart failure.
Frequent vomiting can result in inflammation or rupture of the esophagus.
Laxative abuse causes chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation, which may potentially lead to the development of peptic ulcers or pancreatitis.
Types of Bulimia:
There are two types of bulimia nervosa. Both involve a patient who engages in behaviors that attempt to make up for what has been eaten with the same goal in mind- the prevention of weight gain.
- Purging type: individual regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or misuses laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
- Non-purging type: individual uses excessive exercise or fasting to control their weight but does not purge.
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