In one of my previous write-ups, I had talked about anorexia nervosa, which is a condition typically characterized by compulsive dieting and (sort-of) starving oneself in order to main a slim figure. In this write-up, we shall discuss bulimia nervosa, which is opposite of anorexia nervosa and means binge eating, commonly followed by vomiting.
A person turns bulimic for a number of reasons. Could be when she is trying to get over an emotional problem or wants to exert control over her life. Or perhaps wants to maintain a slim figure and so is very fussed about what to eat. In the last case, dieting and food-consciousness leads to eating the wrong food. Dieting also results in hanger pangs and ultimately is translated into food indulgence or over eating. And it is matter of time before binge eating becomes a habit. And this habit is what causes bulimia nervosa. The affected person gets extremely concerned about the possibility of putting on weight and hence, tries to avoid this by purging, exercising or dieting. Or even by fasting. Purging would mean vomiting out soon after a session of binge eating.
Bulimia nervosa is as serious a condition as anorexia nervosa because it is psychological as much as it is physical and equally tough to treat. It arises from a deep-seated feeling of lack of control, poor body image, dieting. However, it differs from anorexia in the sense that it is difficult to detect. An anorexic is visible from a distant – the bony, starved look. But a bulimic is of average build and there are no superficial signs to indicate that a person is suffering from this condition.
Bulimia nervosa can be treated easily if the person is willing to be treated. Like I said earlier, it is also a psychological condition and so would require a drastic change in the attitude of the person concerned. This would mean an increase in self-esteem, which is pretty crucial and/or a determination to give up dieting. Poor body image plays a negative role in this and has to be eliminated.
Surprisingly, eating disorders may sometimes run in the family, too. And though common among young girls, it is not restricted to the female gender. There are male bulimics too.