Bulimia nervosa is one type of eating disorder. Bulimia
nervosa is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Repeated episodes of binge eating, known as binging, characterized by eating excessive amounts of food within a small period of time and lack of control over eating
- Recurrent behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, enemas, or other medications or excessive exercise, to prevent weight gain, called purging (Van Wormer & Davis, 2008)
When both of these behaviors, binging and purging, occur on
average at least twice a week for 3 months and create a cycle, it becomes an
addiction (Van Wormer & Davis, 2008). However, many people with bulimia binge then purge, on average, 11 times per
week.
Who suffers from bulimia?
- approximately 1 in 50 women between the ages of 15 and 24 years suffer with bulimia
- most common among Caucasians
- most common during the late teens and twenties
- at least 95% of all bulimics are female
- of the few males with this disorder, those on a wrestling team are 7 to 10 times more likely to develop bulimia
- it has been found to occur in children as young as six years old and can occur in older adults
- far more common in industrialized, westernized countries with media images of thin women
- individuals often have history of weight gain or come from families in which being overweight is a problem
- many bulimics suffer from depression or drug abuse
- 35% of women with severe bulimia reported that they suffered childhood sexual abuse ("Statistics on bulimia," 2013)
The successful treatment of bulimia includes both medical
and psychological treatment as well as nutritional
counseling. Treatment needs to be ongoing, lasting a total of three to six months or
more. Treatment is very important because eating disorders can be fatal in as many
as 20 percent of all cases.
The choice treatment for bulimia is cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy targets the unhealthy eating behaviors of bulimia
and the negative thoughts that go along with them. The steps of therapy are breaking the
binge-and-purge cycle, changing unhealthy thoughts
and patterns, and solving emotional issues ("Bulimia nervosa," 2013)
Sources:
Bulimia nervosa. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bulimia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm
Statistics on bulimia. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.mirror-mirror.org/bulimia/statistics-on-bulimia.htm
Wormer, Katherine & Davis, Diane Rae (2008). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective.
California: Brooks/Cole
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Lauren, I liked the way you set up your blog; it was easy to understand and read. I have learned about bulimia in the past, however, I did not know that purging could mean something other than vomiting. Also, in an article I found, it said that purging does not prevent weight loss, and explains why these individuals actually gain weight over time. (Due to calorie consumption beginning in the mouth and vomiting only eliminates less than half of the total consumed. Therefore, these individuals are still consuming more calories than if they were to eat a moderate amount.) I think certain facts about bulimia should be clearer in school systems because if people were more educated, then perhaps it could be better controlled. In addition, there are so many side effects that are unattractive, such as scars, swollen cheeks, discolored teeth, weight gain, ruptured stomach, ulcers, and abdominal pain. These features alone should serve as deterrents to those who are thinking about becoming bulimic because in an effort to be skinny and attractive, they are actually doing the opposite and negatively impacting their health.
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