Eating disorders are often associated with anorexia.
However, bulimia nervosa is more prevalent, affecting many men and women throughout the world. Bulimia is clinically defined as binge eating (eating too much) combined with abnormal ways of preventing weight gain.
Therefore, unlike anorexia, bulimics often eat large amounts of food in one sitting. However, a preoccupation with food and body image causes bulimics to recurrently engage in compensatory behaviours like self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives and other medications to control their weight.
These kinds of difficulties and behaviours typically start in adolescence, and have been associated with pressures to achieve and have a desirable body.
Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are both important in the treatment of the condition, and should be sought from professionals as soon as possible.
It is important to understand that this is a real struggle for these patients, which is linked to impulses and perceptions of themselves which are incredibly hard for them to control.
As much as it might seem logical to eat or that their body is not overweight, it is difficult for these patients to see their bodies in this way or resist these behaviours around food.
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