Bulimia
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It was ten years ago when I
became bulimic. I had always worried about my weight and how I looked. I always
thought I looked fat, regardless of what the scale showed or anyone said. But I
had never made myself throw up—not until after college. It was a hard time right
after college—I had more responsibilities. I felt very overwhelmed and turned to
food to feel more in control of my life. Sometimes, I’d eat a lot of food and
throw it up. Other times, I’d throw up a normal meal. At the time, it seemed
like the only way I could cope. Luckily, I got help, after a friend talked to me
about the problem. It took a lot of work, but I recovered.
Bulimia (buh-LEE -me-ah) nervosa, typically called bulimia, is a type of
eating disorder. Someone with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of
time (called bingeing) and then tries to prevent weight gain by purging. Purging
might be done in these ways:
- making oneself throw up
- taking laxatives, pills, or liquids that increase how fast food moves
through your body and leads to a bowel movement (BM)
A person with bulimia may also use these ways to prevent weight gain:
- exercising a lot
- eating very little or not at all
- taking pills to pass urine
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Bulimia is more than just a problem with food. Purging and other behaviors to
prevent weight gain are ways for people with bulimia to feel more in control of
their lives and ease stress and anxiety. While there is no single known cause of
bulimia, many things may have a role in its development:
- Biology. There are studies being done to look at many
genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain that may have an effect on the
development of, and recovery from, bulimia.
- Culture. Some cultures in the U.S. have an ideal of extreme
thinness. Women may define themselves on how beautiful they are.
- Personal feelings. Someone with bulimia may feel badly
about herself, feel helpless, and hate the way she looks.
- Stressful events or life changes. Things like starting
a new school or job, being teased, or traumatic events like rape can lead
to the onset of bulimia.
- Families. The attitude of parents about appearance and
diet affects their kids. Also, a person is more likely to develop bulimia
if a mother or sister has it.
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People with bulimia may be underweight, overweight, or have a normal weight.
This makes it harder to know if someone has this disorder. However, someone with
bulimia may have these signs:
Uses extreme measures to lose weight
- uses diet pills, or takes pills to urinate or have a bowel movement (BM)
- goes to the bathroom all the time after she eats (to throw up)
- exercises a lot, even during bad weather, tiredness, sickness, or injury
Shows signs of throwing up
- swelling of the cheeks or jaw area
- cuts and calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles
- teeth that look clear
Acts differently
- is depressed
- doesn't see friends or participate in activities as much
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Bulimia can be very harmful to the body. Look at the picture to find out how
bulimia affects your health.

Yes, a person with bulimia can get better. Different types of therapy have
worked to help people with bulimia. This may include individual, group, and
family therapy. A class of medicines, also used for depression, like Zoloft, has
been effective when used with therapy. These medicines change the way certain
chemicals work in the brain.
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Bulimia can cause problems with a woman’s period. She may not get it every 4
weeks or it may stop. But researchers don't think this affects a woman's chances
of getting pregnant after she recovers.
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If a woman with active bulimia gets pregnant, these problems may result:
- miscarriage
- high blood pressure in the mother
- baby isn’t born alive
- low birth weight
- low Apgar score, which are tests done after birth to make sure the baby is
healthy
- during the delivery, they baby tries to come out with feet or buttocks
first
- birth by C-section
- baby is born early
- depression after the baby is born
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National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, HHS
National Mental Health
Information Center, SAMHSA, HHS
Academy for Eating Disorders
(AED)
Eating Disorder Referral
and Information Center
Harvard Eating Disorders Center
(HEDC)
National Eating Disorders
Association (NEDA)
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