Bulimia is when someone eats a lot of food (binge eats) and then go to great lengths such as forcing themselves to vomit to ensure that no weight is gained from the food that they have just eaten, over time this can have serious effects on your health and your body.
Binge eating is not the same as pigging out at a mates party or eating junk food for a day, usually to be diagnosed with bulimia you need to be binge eating and purging at least twice a week for a couple of months. People with bulimia tend to eat large amounts of food (usually done in secret) at once, the person often feels completely powerless to stop it and only stops once they are full and cant eat any more. Then they will purge the food, the most common way this is done is by making themselves vomit, however excessive exercise and laxatives are also ways that are used.
Why binge eat just to purge it?
In today’s society being slim is what people tend to connect with being normal, with everything from fashion, media and advertising showing us that slim is beautiful you can understand why teens especially feel the need to be slim.
Bulimic people have a fear of putting on extra weight but at the same time cannot help themselves from indulging into a snack, this as you can see leads into a vicious circle. After snacking or eating that forbidden food, the person is left feeling guilty about what they have done, this causes them to go out of their way to get rid of what they have just eaten, in the end the food ends up purged in one way or another. Then the cycle begins again.
Is purging dangerous
Purging interrupts with your bodies absorption of nutrients, this can lead to various health issues later on such as low potassium or hypo which can cause (and be fatal) serious heart problems. There are also other side effects.
Helping someone who is bulimic
It is rare for someone who suffers from bulimia to seek help by themselves, you can help someone by being there for them, remember they already feel guilty about their binge eating so do not need reminding from you about it, instead offer support and offer to go for help with them.
Useful Helplines
- SupportLine Telephone Helpline: 01708 765200, email info@supportline.org.uk
- Anorexia and Bulimia Care: 01462 423351, www.anorexiabulimiacare.co.uk
- beat – beat eating disorders (formerly the Eating Disorders Association) Helpline: 0845 6341414, email help@b-eat.co.uk; b-eat Youthline 0845 634 7650, email fyp@b-eat.co.uk, www.b-eat.co.uk
- British Nutrition Foundation: 020 7404 6504
- The International Eating Disorders Centre: 01296 330557, www.eatingdisorderscentre.co.uk
- Maisner Centre for Eating Disorders: 01273 729818
- The National Centre for Eating Disorders: 0845 838 20 40, www.eating-disorders.org.uk
- Northern Initiative on Women and Eating: 0191 261 7010 -
- National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence: 020 7067 5800
- Office of Health Economics: 020 7930 9203
- Overeaters Anonymous: 07000 784985
- Young Minds: 0800 018 2138 – email enquiries@youngminds.org.uk, www.youngminds.org.uk
No related posts.