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Walking a Thin Line
Recognizing and Preventing Eating Disorders
By Carma Haley
Bulimia nervosa, known more popularly as "bulimia," is described as a disorder that revolves around episodes of bingeing, or consuming large amounts of heavy, fatty or sweet foods at one sitting, and purging, which means ridding the body of all the food consumed. The practice of purging may involve self-induced vomiting or excessive use of laxatives or diuretics, or water pills. Similar to an anorexic, a bulimic develops a preoccupation with food, weight and appearance. However, bulimics will also develop an intense pattern of guilt and shame related to their food intake. Serious medical complications can arise from the disorder of bulimia as well. Mood swings, swollen glands of the neck and face, vomiting blood, dental problems and irregular menstrual periods are just a few of the complications that can occur in bulimics.
Young girls and women are the most common group affected by bulimia, but it is not unusual for young male athletes or gay men to develop bulimia as well. Bulimics will not always appear thin, and may actually be slightly overweight. The "guilt" patterns that develop with bulimics usually result in eating in secret and hoarding or hiding food for later bingeing episodes. Bulimics may carry large amounts of breath mints or tooth care products to hide the fact that they purge. According to the National Eating Disorders Screening Program, 25 percent of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique.
According to the American Center for Disease and Disorders Research, the numbers of practicing anorexics and bulimics are quite higher for some "populations" such as sorority members, cheerleaders and models. In addition, the ageat which the practices of anorexia and bulimia begin have decreased from the average age of 14 to the age of 12. Some experts site current trends that push that age even lower.
