Facts about Bulimia

Bulimia starts with a tricky picture: a common indulgence or liking for food and excessive eating. A Bulimia victim will not pick on certain types of food and anything edible could end up in his/her mouth. However, along the way, she will decide to compensate for her food intake and will do certain actions to lose the food, the calories, and eventually, the nutrition.

She could start taking laxatives, diuretics, and certain medicines intended for body excretion of food. This dream to stay slim and slender could turn into a teen’s worst nightmare as she is pulled even further into the dangers of Bulimia Nervosa.

Aside from medication, vomiting, excessive exercise and extreme dieting are also methods for a losing food intake. Medicines are also an option for losing weight and Bulimics will definitely use laxatives and diuretics.

Although bulimia is an eating disorder and therefore a physical health condition, it also has psychological bearings. Peer pressure, discrimination and low self-esteem could be reasons for turning to bulimia. Although minding one’s weight is a healthy decision, demonstrating signs of bulimia shows a wrong and destructive way of gaining control.

Those with Bulimia often show the following symptoms. By observing your child or friend intently, you will be able to identify is she is a sufferer before it is all too late.

Bulimia sufferers develop a bad habit of binge eating—from junk foods to sweets to certain delicacies, he/she will consume a great amount of food, and in some cases, more than what a person of the same age and weight would consume. This unusual liking could develop into a destructive habit and an addiction at that.

After a heavy meal or a food fest, he/she decides to lose the intake by taking laxatives, excessive exercising or worse, vomiting. This could turn to a daily habit until he/she is satisfied that her weight has decreased greatly.

Most patients will complain about their weight and body frame wishing they were thinner even when they are extremely thin themselves already. They will show desperation and obsession for staying thin.

Exercising is a good habit—when it’s for the good cause, but for those with Bulimia, excessive exercise could be dangerous. This could make them lose great amounts of weight until it leads to extreme thinness.

If you know someone showing these unusual symptoms, he/she could be a victim of Bulimia Nervosa and a visit to an internist or a doctor is advised. If you know someone showing these unusual symptoms, he/she could be a victim of Bulimia Nervosa and a visit to an internist or a doctor is advised. Your intervention could bring hope to your child and save her from Bulimia.