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More common in women in their mid to late teens Bulimia was only officially recognised as an eating disorder in 1979, although it had undoubtedly been around for many years before that. Bulimia is also on the rise in young men, but available figures show that around 90% of sufferers are female.

Bulimia Nervosa

Characteristics of Bulimia

Bulimia is characterised by a desire to maintain body weight and in order to do so the sufferer goes through a cycle of "Binge" eating and "Purging." They will often over eat during a binge, and consume a large amount of high fat or high calorie food. While we all may binge on a favorite food every so often, Bulimics do so regularly and often when not hungry. To counter act this bingeing, the Bulimic then purges their body of the food, either by the use of laxatives or by self induced vomiting.

One of the oddities about Bulimia is that some sufferers binge and purge on a daily basis while other only do so every few weeks or months. Some binge/purge after a stressful incident has happened, others cannot identify the trigger which causes it to happen. Some sufferers, about 7% are "Non-Purging Bulimics" and in these cases they try to undo the effects of the binge by excessive fasting, crash diets or excessive exercise.

Regardless of the type of Bulimia, one thing that is known is that many Bulimics have issues with their weight and purge to avoid weight gain.

Detection

A second thing is that it is a lot more difficult to detect in a young person than anorexia. The sufferer will often have a healthy appearance, will have a weight level commensurate to their age and height and between binges may have a totally normal attitude to food.

Sadly the idea that purging will undo a binge is not based on fact, and is one good reason why many people suffering from Bulimia find they slowly put on weight. Our bodies absorption of calories is instant, and starts as soon as the food is in the mouth. Vomiting will only get rid of about half the calories from a binge and as some Bulimics can take in thousands of calories per binge, the calories have to somewhere so they gain weight. Laxatives and excessive exercise will remove an even lower percentage of the calories.

And the Causes...?

Like Anorexia, no one is sure although many suffers do have unnatural fixation regarding their weight and an aversion to putting weight on, so self image is often an associated factor. Also like Anorexia, it can be caused by other emotional factors, family history or as a way of simply coping with highly stressful situations like the breakup of a relationship.

Telltale Signs and Symptoms

So, how can you tell if someone is suffering from Bulimia, what are the signs to look out for? As we said earlier, a lot harder than with Anorexia, and while many Bulimics do all they can to hide what they are doing, binging and purging will show some tell tale signs:

  • Binging
  • Food disappearing from the cupboards or fridge
  • Wrappers found in the sufferer’s bedroom
  • Food hoards found hidden in the house
  • Overeating or not eating at all
  • Furtive behaviour patterns where food is concerned
  • Purging
  • Excessive exercise
  • Signs of vomiting, like splashes on clothes or the acrid smell of vomit
  • Evidence indicating the use of laxatives or emetics (which make you sick)
  • Mood swings
  • Trips to the bathroom after meals

Medical Complications

The medical complications surrounding Bulimia are often more complicated than the sufferer may realise or care to think about. Vomiting and diarrhea cause fluid loss, the body becomes dehydrated and this in turn can lead to low levels of potassium, which can cause irregular heart rhythms and in severe cases, kidney damage. Bulimia, left untreated can also cause:

  • Damage to the Oesophagus, the tube going from the mouth to the stomach
  • Heart damage
  • Throat scarring
  • Damage to the blood vessels in the eyes
  • Damage to the intestines caused by misuse of laxatives
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Stomach ruptures
  • Dizziness
  • Irregular periods

Treatments

Bulimia is often treated using therapy sessions and counselling to break the destructive cycle the sufferer is caught in and to treat the under laying issues. If you think a young person in your family is suffering from Bulimia, then you would be well advised to discuss the matter with your GP.

A Source of Information

Further information on bulimia can be found on the following websites:

You can also check out the excellent BUPA web site, which, as always, gives you clear, accurate and concise information on a wide range of medical disorders.