| Bulimia is an eating disorder. People with bulimia | | | | food. Some people binge once a day; others may |
| usually have a normal weight, but perceive | | | | binge several times a day. After eating, a person |
| themselves to be fat. Or they may feel intense | | | | with bulimia will often go to the bathroom for |
| guilt or self-disgust when they eat. These feelings | | | | several minutes to vomit up the food. He or she |
| are so strong that people with bulimia throw up | | | | might abuse laxatives or diuretics, or exercise |
| much of the food they eat. Though men and | | | | constantly. A person with bulimia is overly |
| women both can develop bulimia, 90 percent of | | | | concerned about weight and appearance.Constant |
| people with bulimia are women. For most, bulimia | | | | vomiting burns the esophagus, mouth, and teeth |
| begins in the teens, a few years after puberty | | | | with stomach acid. Many people with bulimia have |
| begins. Many people with bulimia are perfectionists | | | | symptoms like gum infections, heartburn, or |
| or overachievers.Bulimia is identified by two | | | | swollen salivary glands from the stomach acid. |
| characteristic behaviors: bingeing and purging. In a | | | | Their teeth lose some of their enamel or get |
| binge, a person eats more than 1,000 calories, | | | | cavities. People with bulimia may also be |
| which is close to half the number of calories a | | | | constipated.Bingeing and purging is not healthy, |
| typical person needs in a day. But to a person | | | | and, as a result, many people with bulimia are |
| with bulimia, a binge may be eating a piece of | | | | malnourished. They may be dehydrated and have |
| cake. People with bulimia often binge on comfort | | | | low electrolytes. Many people with bulimia have |
| foods like potato chips, cake, or cookies. But after | | | | dry skin and brittle nails. Most seriously, when |
| eating the food, the person is filled with guilt and | | | | blood potassium levels drop severely, can prove |
| shame. The person with bulimia then purges him | | | | fatal. |
| or herself by inducing vomiting, excessively | | | | Bulimia may also be tied to self-esteem |
| exercising, or by using laxatives.A person in a | | | | problems, stress, or depression. Bulimia is |
| binge-and-purge cycle will eat lots of food at one | | | | completely treatable, but requires professional help |
| time. A binge may be secret or planned. It could | | | | and support to break the bingeing-and-purging |
| begin suddenly, cascading just from a bite of | | | | cycles. |