What is bulimia ?
Medically, bulimia is defined as recurrent episodes of binge eating-rapid consumption of unusually large amounts of food, an average of twice per week for at least 3 months. Although bulimia literally means “hunger pf an ox, most bulimics do not excessive appetites. Instead, their tendency to overly compulsive appears to stem from psychological problems, perhaps complicated by the abnormal brain chemistry or hormonal imbalance.
Many more women than men are affected by bulimia. In spite of their excesses, most bulimics are of normal weight, although many have often gain or loss of 10 pounds (4.5 kg) or more. Their ability to keep a normal weight is attributed to the other side of bulimia, namely their ability to compensate for the excesses of strict diet and excessive exercise or purging through self-induced vomiting or the abuse of laxatives or enemas.
Some bulimics purge after eating a lot of food. About half of anorexics suffer from bulimia, and the two disorders are characterized by a perfectionist emphasis on weight and diet, and the fear of not being able to control eating behavior. These disorders typically begin with a strict regime of weight loss. Driven by extreme hunger, the dieter may succumb to gorging, usually sweet foods high in calories, such as cakes and ice cream. Then, the feeling of guilt and shame, May purge dieter to compensate for the indiscretion. Before long, the dieter can be caught in a cycle of binging and purging, with binges often triggered by feelings of anxiety, stress, loneliness, or boredom. An orgy can be brief, or it may fbrseveral final hours, with anywhere from 1000 to 5000 calories consumed.
