Different Forms Of Bulimia
As scientific articles have shown, bulimia is one of the most common eating disorders among young people, especially women. But did you know that bulimia comes in different forms? While many have heard of this disease, not everyone knows how it manifests. In this article, we introduce the different forms of bulimia.
The symptoms of bulimia and the factors associated with it are quite diverse. Bulimia is usually perceived as a desire to have a perfect body due to social pressures. If you want to know more about this topic, we encourage you to continue reading.
What is bulimia?
Bulimia, also known as “bulimia nervosa,” is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating followed by compensatory actions such as intentional vomiting, use of laxatives, fasting, or strenuous exercise. This is to avoid gaining weight.
Generally, diagnosis requires that symptoms appear at least twice a week for more than three months. It is important to distinguish bulimia from gluttony disorder (BED), which does not include gluten compensatory activity.
In people with bulimia, changes in eating habits and compulsive, controlling attitudes toward their own weight cause psychosocial and physical deterioration. This in turn develops into a state of malnutrition, which affects the most important functions of the body, especially brain function.
Although bulimia particularly affects the female population, it also occurs in men as well as children and teenagers, regardless of gender. Generally, binge eating begins after being on a diet. The course of the disease may be chronic, or seizures may occur only occasionally.
An article published by the Spanish Pediatric Association states that bulimia is more likely to develop in those who do modeling or engage in, for example, dancing, sports or rhythmic gymnastics.
Different forms of bulimia
People with bulimia have a constant concern for their own body and weight, which is why many of them tend to restrict the eating of certain foods and embark on extreme diets. According to the study “Bulimia nervosa and its subtypes”, we can divide bulimia into two categories. We will explain them in more detail below.
Bulimia with an emptying phase
A person suffering from such bulimia usually uses laxatives, diuretics, and other metabolic drugs to compensate for binge eating. They also intentionally vomit and use enemas and other methods by which they can “undo” eating excessive amounts of food.
A characteristic feature of this type of bulimia is that the person usually gets rid of the food eaten in secret. Regardless of how or when this is done, over time, the body begins to suffer from its disadvantages: from throat damage to teeth and digestive problems, just to name a few.
Bulimia without emptying
Unlike the previous form, this type of bulimia does not involve emptying, but rather individuals exhibit other types of compensatory activity after binge eating. They assume that the food eaten melts and is absorbed into the body anyway, so they do not resort to vomiting or laxatives.
Instead, they may “compensate for eating” by, for example, exercising excessively or fasting for long periods of time.
What are the risks for someone with bulimia?
Both subtypes of bulimia have a detrimental effect on health. When someone has bulimia for a long time, or if it is a recurring problem, it can cause the following:
- Kidney deficiency
- Chemical or electrolyte imbalance
- Tooth holes
- Indigestion or constipation
- Nestevaje
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Heart problems
- Gum disease
How can bulimia be treated?
The treatment for bulimia nervosa varies from person to person depending on how the disease manifests itself. However, as it is a disease of mental origin, scientific evidence suggests that treatment should focus not only on nutrition and nutrition education, but also on mental health.
One of the main goals is to develop a healthy and compassionate relationship with food. The following methods may be used by a professional:
- Use of antidepressants, as and when recommended by a professional
- Individual and family psychotherapy
- Nutrition education from a specialist
- In some cases, hospitalization may be required
There are also centers and treatment programs that provide patients with support and attention 24 hours a day.
All different forms of bulimia require expert help
All different forms of bulimia require the intervention of a professional. The disease does not heal on its own, but usually actually gets worse over time. For this reason, early diagnosis is essential.
Attention must be paid to all warning signs. Doctors, nutritionists, and psychologists can guide people with bulimia toward healthier eating habits to overcome the disease.
