Bulimia is the need to absorb an abnormal quantity of food. This need arises in episodes. In moments of crisis, an inner force drives a person to eat a lot. To avoid extra calories, a person is sick. The bulimic period is often followed by food deprivation. Like anorexia, bulimia is a disorder characterized by an obsession with thinness, aversion to fat.
Bulimia nervosa mainly affects women, usually between 12 and 20 years. Unlike anorexia, people with bulimia are aware of having a problem, but bulimia is seen as a shame, they do not speak about it and isolates themself. Since there is little or no weight change, the entourage of a bulimic person does not notice.
There may be several causes. Bulimia can occur following a tragic event. The person is depressed, feels great emotions or anxiety. The mental disturbance triggers the need to eat. The person then eats large quantities of food until having pain in the stomach. These are high-calorie foods they avoid outside periods of crisis. Pain in the stomach make them stop eating. Then they realize and feel guilty. Vomiting diminish his guilt. The following days, it can undertake a diet or do much exercise to lose weight gain.
The person is bulimic if for three months they have two attacks per week and they try, after each crisis, to maintain their weight through dieting or excessive exercise.
It seems that psychotherapy is more effective than just drugs.
02 mai 2010
| The text above is for information purposes only. Only a doctor can diagnose a disease. No treatment (medication or scheme) should be undertaken without consulting a health professional. |