Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which relentless over apprehension with body weight and shape leads to repeated episodes of binging (consuming large amounts of food in a short time) linked with induced vomiting, use of laxatives, fasting, and/or too much exercise to control weight. The American Psychiatric Association classified bulimia as a discrete disorder in 1980; the name was changed to bulimia nervosa in 1987. Patients who have an eating disorder share some common features with patients who have a history of sexual abuse. Previous studies, flawed by methodological errors, did not clearly elucidate a relationship between history of sexual abuse and subsequent development of the eating disorder bulimia nervosa. (Herzog, 1999)
From time to time bulimic behavior is observed in cases of anorexia nervosa, or abnormal dieting, however bulimia in itself does not result in harsh weight loss. It can; nevertheless, cause gastrointestinal problems and stern potassium exhaustion, and teeth may be damaged due to the acid nature of the regurgitated food. Bulimia more often than not develops during teenage years (most frequently among females) as a consequence of different psychosomatic pressures, the most obvious one being the social emphasis on the desirability of slimness. Various modes of group and behavioral therapy are used in treating the disorder. As patients with bulimia often suffer from depression as well, antidepressant drugs may be helpful. (American Journal of Psychiatry (1994)
Indulge intake and unsuitable compensatory behaviors, such as nausea, fasting, extreme work out and the abuse of diuretics, laxatives or enemas, exemplify bulimia nervosa. Even though the etiology of this disorder is unknown, genetic and neurochemical factors have been implicated. Bulimia nervosa is 10 times more common in females than in males and affects up to 3 percent of young women. The situation more often than not becomes indicative between the ages of 13 and 20 years, and it has a chronic, sometimes sporadic course.....
