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Understanding Bulimia
When a girl enters puberty, her body changes.
It begins to look like a woman’s body, rather than a girl’s.
Fat begins to appear. Breasts develop and hips widen as the
girl grows. For some young woman, these changes are greeted
with excitement. For other young women, these changes may
cause sadness and spark self-doubt. A young woman feeling
uncomfortable in her body may wish for a girl’s body without
curves. She may project her fear onto food. Now, when she
eats, she eats too much food. She binges. This may fill her
with guilt and shame and vomit up the food. She purges. This
is the story of a young woman has bulimia.
Bulimia is not exclusively caused by the changes
of puberty, nor is it exclusive to women. Although 90 percent
of bulimia cases occur in women, and most of these women begin
to eat and vomit in their mid- to late-teens, bulimia nervosa
can stem from diverse causes. Some people with bulimia are
perfectionists. Some feel their weight reflects their self-worth.
Being too heavy is a sign of failure. Some may be depressed,
or unable to cope with the world. Vomiting may represent the
person’s desire to purge his or her being of the qualities
they most despise. A person with bulimia may be unhappy inside
and feel lost, and comforted by controlling his or her food
intake and weight. But there is no single known cause of bulimia.
The disorder is not limited to teens. Roughly
10 percent of college women are bulimic, four percent of the
population is estimated to have bulimia. Most people with
bulimia start with a normal weight, but as they attempt to
lose weight, they lose adequate nutrition. When people with
bulimia binge, they tend to eat comfort foods like potato
chips, ice cream, or cookies—foods with little nutritional
value. The purging removes any food in the body, nutritionally
sound or not. Some people suffering from bulimia abuse diuretics
or laxatives instead of (or in addition to) vomiting.
Repeated vomiting often erodes the enamel of
a person with bulimia’s teeth and causes cavities. Stomach
ulcers, constipation, bloating, and heartburn are other symptoms
of bulimia. People with bulimia often go to the bathroom after
meals, are preoccupied with weight, and are sensitive to temperature
changes. Women with bulimia may have irregular periods from
the nutritionally sparse diet.
Bulimia nervosa became an officially diagnosed
eating disorder in the 1980s. Ten percent of people with bulimia
will die from its complications. Though people with bulimia
may deny their eating disorder, they should see a doctor immediately,
with support from those who love them. Bulimia is completely
treatable.
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About the Author:
Thomas Morva
Bulimia
Info provides detailed information about the causes, symptoms,
and effects of bulimia; bulimia treatment and recovery; the
relationship between anorexia and bulimia; and information
about the “pro bulimia” viewpoint. Bulimia Info is affiliated
with Original
Content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva
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