What is Bulimia Nervosa

What Is Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and purging. It includes eating large amounts of food-more than most people would eat in one meal-in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse or over-exercising. A bulimic can consume as many as 3,400 calories in little more than an hour and as many as 20,000 calories in eight hours. (www.psychologytoday.com,). There are so many reasons behind why women especially take this route of looking “thin.” Years ago, bulimia was a disease but not as common as now. An experiment was done in Fiji where tv’s were first introduced and there were no reports of any anorexic, bulimic or the urge of weight loss. As soon as skinny models were shown on tv to promote businesses, many women were getting very self- conscious about their looks and within 3 years the reports of anorexic, bulimic and women who were finding a way to lose their weight, went up to two-thirds of the population. (www.edcatalogue.com, 2014)

How Do Women Turn Towards Bulimia?

Bulimia often manifests in families where the emotional, physical, or spiritual needs of its members are not met and attachments are tenuous. Bulimia can take the form of any pain.

In some households, feelings are not encouraged to be shared with anyone because it shows a sign of weakness. In some households, the pressure of being the ‘ideal’ or the ‘perfect’ child is so stressed that the child turns towards dangerous measures. They feel the need to be perfect because they think their parents won’t love them if they don't live up to the expectations. Moreover, kids who have food control parents or parents who go on multiple diets to look perfect, are most likely to turn towards bulimia. If parents are judgmental and gossip about how so-and-so has gained a few pounds, their children will learn that body size is a measure of worth and will feel judged and be prone to a poor body image (www.edcatalogue.com, 2014).

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF BULIMIA NERVOSA

Considering bulimia is a very embarrassing and fragile condition, many women hide it so well that people can’t even identify if the person in bulimic or not. A bulimic person binges on food and then throws up all of that food to feel better . Some of the signs and symptoms of a bulimic person are lack of control over eating, secrecy surrounding eating, eating unusually large amounts of food , disappearance of food and alternating between overeating and fasting. When buying food for a binge, a bulimic might shop at four separate markets so the checker won’t guess. But despite their secret life, those closest to them probably have a sense that something is not right (www.helpguide.org, 2019).

STEPS TO BULIMIA RECOVERY

It is very hard to admit that a person is bulimic due to various reasons. One of the main reason for a bulimic to admit that whatever they are doing is wrong, is the scare of people judging them by saying that they did that just for attention, when the people don’t know the real reason. In order for a bulimic to get better, they need to be ready for all the hate comments and face the world with a strong face knowing that they have someone to help them up. Enlist the help of professionals, follow treatment recommendations, find accountability and support, have a relapse plan and focus on the positive. They need to remember what they are fighting for and why they are working towards recovery, even when things get challenging. Their life is important, and they deserve to find peace and recovery in their life, for themself and for those who love them (www.eatingdisorderhope.com, 2016) .

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