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Eating Disorder:

• Anorexia
• Bulimia
• Compulsive Overeating
• How to Help

  Bulimia Nervosa:

Bulimia Nervosa is "characterized by self-perpetuating and self-defeating cycles of binge-eating and purging.  During a "binge," the person consumes a large amount of food in a rapid, automatic, and helpless fashion.  This may anesthetize hunger, anger, and other feelings, but eventually creates physical discomfort and anxiety about weight gain.  Thus, the person "purges" the food eaten - usually by inducing vomiting and by resorting to some combination of restrictive dieting, excessive exercising, laxatives, and diuretics."

Facts vs. Myths

MYTH

Bulimia is a good way to lose weight - to have your cake and eat it too.

FACT
Bulimia is a poor weight reduction method.  First, it doesn't work (as was concluded in a London study of 500 bulimics where a weight gain of 7-10 pounds occurred for each) and secondly, it is very dangerous and creates an altered biochemical state predisposing one to numerous physiological and psychological problems.

MYTH
Bulimia is only true of those who consume huge amounts of calories (1,000-30,000) in one sitting and then throw up immediately afterward.

FACT
Bulimia is a word used to describe people whose eating is out of control.  A binge may be as small as several cookies or as large as three bags of groceries.  People who are bulimic think about food, feel guilty about it, binge, then think about how to get rid of the food/weigh - any number of methods are used. . . purging through vomiting or the use of laxatives and/or diuretics, exercise, sleeping it off, and/or fasting for the next several hours of days.

Useful Links to other sites about Eating Disorders:

The Center for Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention, Inc

Eating Disorder Shared Awareness

MentalHealth.net’s Eating Disorder Page

Mirror Mirror Eating Disorder Shared Awareness

Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center

Eating Disorders/Disordered Culture

Signs/Symptoms

•  Binge eating (Consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time.

Specifically, person binges at least twice a week for at least three months).

•  Feelings of being out of control when eating.

•  Weight control through:  self -included vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, dieting/fasting, or excessive exercising.

•  Preoccupation with body size.

•  Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals.

•  Depression or mood swings.

•  Bulimics may be of average or slightly above average weight, usually do most of their bingeing and purging secretly, and have rapid weight gains and losses.

Click Here for How to Help