Are you hungry all the time?

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia (boo-LEE-me-uh) nervosa, commonly called bulimia, is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder. People with bulimia may secretly binge — eating large amounts of food with a loss of control over the eating — and then purge, trying to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way.

To get rid of the gained weight this people follow things like self-induce vomiting or misuse laxatives, weight-loss supplements, diuretics or enemas after bingeing.

Or you may follow other unhealthy measures such as fasting, strict dieting or excessive exercise.

Causes

The exact cause of bulimia is unknown. Many factors could play a role in the development of eating disorders, including genetics, biology, emotional health, societal expectations and other issues.

Symptoms

The major symptoms of this disorder are:

• Being preoccupied with your body shape and weight
• Living in fear of gaining weight
• Repeated episodes of eating abnormally large amounts of food in one sitting
• Feeling a loss of control during bingeing — like you can’t stop eating or can’t control what you eat
• Forcing yourself to vomit or exercising too much to keep from gaining weight after bingeing
• Using laxatives, diuretics or enemas after eating when they’re not needed
• Fasting, restricting calories or avoiding certain foods between binges
• Using dietary supplements or herbal products excessively for weight loss

Diagnosis

If you have any bulimia symptoms, seek medical help as soon as possible. If left untreated, bulimia can severely impact your health.

Share your bulimia symptoms and feelings with a mental health professional and seek treatment immediately.

Some symptoms you can notice in a bulimia affected person are:

• Constantly worrying or complaining about being fat
• Having a distorted, excessively negative body image
• Repeatedly eating unusually large quantities of food in one sitting, especially foods the person would normally avoid
• Strict dieting or fasting after binge eating
• Not wanting to eat in public or in front of others
• Going to the bathroom right after eating, during meals or for long periods of time
• Exercising too much
• Having sores, scars or calluses on the knuckles or hands
• Having damaged teeth and gums
• Changing weight
• Swelling in the hands and feet
• Facial and cheek swelling from enlarged glands

Complications

Bulimia may cause numerous serious and even life-threatening complications. Possible complications include:

• Negative self-esteem and problems with relationships and social functioning
• Dehydration, which can lead to major medical problems, such as kidney failure
• Heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat or heart failure
• Severe tooth decay and gum disease
• Absent or irregular periods in females
• Digestive problems
• Anxiety, depression, personality disorders or bipolar disorder
• Misuse of alcohol or drugs
• Self-injury, suicidal thoughts or suicide

Prevention methods

Although there’s no sure way to prevent bulimia, you can steer someone toward healthier behavior or professional treatment before the situation worsens. Here’s how you can help:

• Foster and reinforce a healthy body image in your children, no matter what their size or shape. Help them build confidence in ways other than their appearance.
• Have regular, enjoyable family meals.
• Avoid talking about weight at home. Focus instead on having a healthy lifestyle.
• Discourage dieting, especially when it involves unhealthy weight-control behaviors, such as fasting, using weight-loss supplements or laxatives, or self-induced vomiting.
• Talk with your primary care provider. He or she may be in a good position to identify early indicators of an eating disorder and help prevent its development.
• If you notice a relative or friend who seems to have food issues that could lead to or indicate an eating disorder, consider supportively talking to the person about these issues and ask how you can help.