Eating Disorders Part 2 - Bulimia Nervosa

Now that you are aware of what Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is, read on and learn about Bulimia Nervosa (BN):

Reaching Out Against Eating Disorders (ROAED) defines Bulimia Nervosa as: "a disorder in which individuals eat excessive amounts of food in a short period of time and afterwards eliminate this food from their body through some type of purging behavior."

Here are some criteria for diagnosis of bulimia nervosa:
• Recurring episodes of binge eating, characterized as an uncontrollable consumption of food in a short period of time
• Episodes of purging behavior following binging episode in which the individual tries to prevent weight gain through self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, enemas, fasting, or excessive exercise
• Self-evaluation is influenced by weight and body shape.

Bulimia nervosa is specified into two types:
• Purging Type: In this type of bulimia, purging behavior is in the form of self-induced vomiting or through the use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
• Nonpurging Type: In this type of bulimia, fasting or excessive exercise is the compensatory behavior that is used to prevent weight gain. There is no self-induced vomiting.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  BN affects men, women and children.  Did you know that constant self-induced vomiting can cause the stomach acids to erode the esophageal tract?  This can lead to ulcers and cancer and life long health problems.  If you or someone you know suffers from BN, get help!  Contact the nice people at ROAED today via the link below.


Courtesy:  http://www.roaed.org/index.php?nav=4&subnav=7