Bulimia is characterized by self-perpetuating and self-defeating cycles of binge-eating and purging. Simply put, it is an obsession with food and weight. Although bingeing is uniquely defined by each individual, a typical binge may represent eating 1,500 to 3,000 calories in a discrete period of time and done in an automatic and helpless manner. This is followed by attempts to rid the body of the food that was consumed by either engaging in self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics (purging types), or through excessive exercise, skipping meals, fasting, or dieting (non-purging types). These behaviours are quite harmful and can result in life-threatening problems. Statistics show that about 5% of teen aged girls are bulimic and nine out of every ten people suffering from the disease are female.
Symptoms and Signs:
The major symptoms of bulimia involve inappropriate, compulsive behaviours to maintain or lose weight, such as the ones listed above. Again, these behaviours are not intentional. Bulimics sense a loss of control; feeling as if they cannot stop eating no matter what common sense tells them. Frequent trips to the bathroom and mood swings are common symptoms.
Unlike anorexics, however, it is difficult to tell by physical appearance alone whether someone suffers from bulimia. Bulimics are not necessarily skinnier or larger than anyone else. Furthermore, their bingeing is done in hiding -- bulimics feel ashamed of what they are doing and can hide their secret from even their own families for years.
Above all, bulimia can be traced to profound psychological issues. Someone with bulimia might display some of the following characteristics: severe anxiety over weight gain, obsessive rituals around food, distorted view of body image, low self-esteem, and depression.
Causes:
Bulimia is generally considered a psychological and emotional disorder. It is important to understand that bingeing is an addiction and can be traced to painful episodes or situations in your life, either historically or currently. Eating is a "way out" and no different than alcohol to the alcoholic, or drugs to the drug addict.
Reasons for bingeing vary, just as each individual has her/his problems and their own specific ways of "escaping". You may have a family history of depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism. Recent studies suggest that a high proportion of bulimics come from families with a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Modern social pressures to be thin, especially for women, are significant factors.
Models, actors, and athletes are under constant pressure to maintain their body weight and are prone to bulimia. Many of these individuals have shared their stories publicly. Wrestlers and boxers, for example, often use extreme and dangerous measures (exercising in the sauna, purging, starving themselves.) to lose a large amount of weight over short periods of time. It is quite common to see a boxer gain more than five pounds in one day once s/he no longer has to meet a certain weight requirement.
Bulimia is not just a psychological disorder. It has been shown to coexist with psychiatric disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder. Research has shown that many bulimics have similar chemical imbalances to those suffering from depression, such as a dysfunction in serotonin secretion. Others have linked the disease to heredity.
What to Expect:
The longer someone has bulimia, the more likely that person is to experience some of its side effects. Alternatively, even those who are just beginning to purge can experience severe consequences, even death.
Excessive vomiting leads to electrolyte imbalance. The imbalance, or depletion, occurs through purging and dehydration. Electrolytes, which include potassium, chloride, and sodium, help regulate heartbeat. The imbalance can lead to heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and, ultimately, death can result from cardiac arrest. Such cases are rare and heartbeat will generally become regulated once a more healthy diet is assumed. Kidney failure, which is possibly life-threatening, is another possible effect of low potassium levels. Vomiting itself can be fatal due to choking or if either the esophagus or bronchial passage is ruptured.
Common problems for bulimics include: rotten teeth (due to acid exposure through repeated vomiting), constipation and other digestive disorders, infected or swollen glands or "chipmunk cheeks", blisters in the throat, icy hands and feet, and fluid depletion. Irregular menstrual periods and osteoporosis are other possible consequences.
Foreign objects or liquids to induce vomiting can be very dangerous. Ipecac, a vile tasting liquid, is used to treat poison victims and is sometimes abused by bulimics. It can cause severe muscle weakness and even cardiac arrest. Objects can get lodged in your throat and may need to be surgically removed. They can also choke you.
