Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa, more commonly known as bulimia, is an eating disorder. It is a psychological condition in which the subject engages in recurrent binge eating followed by an intentional purging. This purging is done in order to compensate for the excessive intake of the food and to prevent weight gain. Purging typically takes the form of vomiting; inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics or other medication; excessive physical exercise; or fasting. New research suggests that some sufferers may have a hormonal imbalance of testosterone; however, this research is in its early stages.

Bulimia is often less about food, and more to do with deep psychological issues and profound feelings of lack of control. Binge/purge episodes can be severe, sometimes involving rapid and out of control feeding that can stop when the sufferers "are interrupted by another person" or when their stomach hurts from over-extension. This cycle may be repeated several times a week or, in serious cases, several times a day. Sufferers can often "use the destructive eating pattern to gain control over their lives".

Treatment is most effective when it is implemented early on in the development of the disorder. Unfortunately, since this disorder is often easier to hide and less physically noticeable, diagnosis and treatment often come when the disorder has already become a static part of the patient’s life. Historically, those with bulimia were often hospitalized to end the pattern and then released as soon as the symptoms had been relieved. However, this is now infrequently used, as this only addresses the surface of the problem, and soon after discharge the symptoms would often reappear as severe, if not worse, than when they had originally been.

...More at Wikipedia 

Related Links:

• Something Fishy
• Mayo Clinic

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