Eating Disorder Help

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Author:
Thomas Morva

Some people may feel that they are fat, no matter how thin they actually are. Or they may feel guilty when they eat too much food. The guilt and shame from eating makes the person vomit up all their food. These people have bulimia nervosa, or bulimia, an eating disorder. The disorder has nothing to do with the digestive system, but rather with the mind. And though people with bulimia may share the same guilt and shame about food, and the same patterns of bingeing and purging, bulimia has many causes. Doctors have not identified any one cause of bulimia, but do know of several factors that may contribute to developing bulimia.
Bulimia may be caused by a genetic component. Certain genes may predispose a person to developing bulimia. Bulimia appears to run in families--people with relatives suffering from bulimia have a higher frequency of developing bulimia. This may, however, have more to do with family influences and role models than genetics.
Brain chemistry may also cause bulimia. Research indicates that people with bulimia tend to have different levels of a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Altered levels of serotonin may also contribute to clinical depression.
Social pressures may contribute to bulimia's development. People who want to please others may feel compelled to keep thin and fit. Women in particular receive daily messages to be thin. This drive may turn into an eating disorder.
Emotional stress from family problems or being a perfectionist may also contribute to a person developing bulimia.
A person with bulimia will first binge, meaning that he or she will eat more than 1,000 calories in one sitting. Sometimes, to a person with an eating disorder like a bulimia, eating a cookie might constitute a binge. The binge then triggers intense feelings of self-disgust and the person will induce vomiting, exercise excessively, or abuse laxatives to remove the perceived extra weight.
Bulimia is caused by numerous, subtle factors, and all people suffering from bulimia need treatment from a psychiatrist and therapy to break the binge-and-purge cycle. Bulimia is completely treatable.
About the Author
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.

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Eating Disorders... Signs of an Eating Disorder If you have a teenage child or loved one, chances are you have wondered what the warning signs of an eating disorder may be. Because of the high emphasis our society places on being thin, many teens and adults struggle with having the right body image. Stick thin celebrities do not help with this problem. Parents and other family and friends need to be aware of what to look for and how to help if they have a child they think might have an eating disorder. There are three main types of eating disorders. Anorexia is the inability or lack of desire to eat. Bulimia nervosa is compulsive over eating and then purging the system through throwing up. Compulsive overeating is exactly what it sounds like, uncontrollable overeating. Each one of these three disorders is emotional problems that need to be addressed, as they have serious consequences. Eating disorders are obsessions that are often fueled by guilt or anxiety. Often the person suffering from an eating disorder will separated themselves from friends and family. The disorder, if left untreated can become life threatening, so it is important to know exactly what to look for. Warning signs of eating disorders are varied, and may or may not be obvious. Some of the obvious signs are a noticeable, unexplainable change in weight, which may be weight gain or weight loss. If that is paired with abnormal eating habits, such as extreme dieting, binging, strange behavior at meals, or desire to eat strange foods, chances are you have a person suffering from an eating disorder. Another sign is an obsessive preoccupation with body shape and weight. Excessive exercising can be anther sign of an eating disorder. Finally, depression and irritability usually accompany eating disorders. A person may exhibit these...