Eating Disorder Help

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Author:
Anne Wolski

Copyright 2006 Anne Wolski

In a world where a person's worth tends to be measured by appearance, it is little wonder that we have so many young women falling into the trap of eating disorders. This obsession with achieving the perfect figure has led to one of the most dangerous and life-threatening epidemics of our time.

Bulimia is but one of a growing number of eating disorders recognized in our modern society. It is a serious disorder characterized by binge eating followed by forced vomiting or by purging using laxatives. People with bulimia go through this ritual in order to avoid the weight gain which would normally accompany an eating binge.

Why people get this condition is largely unknown and prone to speculation though it is commonly believed that family and social pressure, as well as unrealistic portrayals of perfect body image in the media, play a significant role. The person is also likely to have intense psychological problems.

Unlike people with anorexia, sufferers of bulimia are not as obvious as they normally remain within about twenty percent of their normal weight range. This makes it difficult for a doctor to diagnose. A person with anorexia has the obvious signs of emaciation but with a bulimia sufferer, it is really necessary to observe the binge eating. Because binge eating is usually carried out secretively, this can create a problem in reaching an early diagnosis.

The person is likely to come from a middle-class or upper-class family who are very controlling and put great importance on achievement. The person is often led to believe that diet and figure are of extreme importance. Thus, the person with bulimia, already suffering from a distorted body image, loses their self-esteem.

Because they suffer from bouts of insatiable hunger, they must then compensate for their binges by removing the food from their body by whatever means they can in order to achieve the image acceptable to the parents and to society in general.

These episodes of induced vomiting and purging bring with them another lot of medical problems. In the case of repeated vomiting, the acid irritates the esophagus and pharynx, leaving them inflamed. The acid also affects the teeth, leaving them sharp and rough. Laxative abuse can cause hemorrhoids as well as chronic constipation. Vomiting and the abuse of laxatives can both cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Treatment often relies on hospitalization where the person receives psychiatric counseling to try to uncover the underlying causes and to help the person to self recovery through understanding of their own issues. There is often group therapy involved as well.

The physical problems are treated symptomatically and also include a diet regime that can control weight without the dangers that this obsession of bulimia can bring. The person should continue with counseling for quite some time after returning home from hospital.

Although bulimia is a serious disorder, death is rare. By seeking treatment and with the loving support of family and friends, the sufferer can eventually return to normal eating habits and a normal, happy and healthy lifestyle.

About the author:

Anne Wolski has worked in the health and welfare industry for over 30 years and is also co director of http://www.magnetic-health-online.com which is a health information portal of many interesting articles by people in the medical industry, as well as http://www.pharmacybyweb.com which has online physicians who can answer your medical questions.

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... Detecting the signs of Anorexia Anorexia Nervosa is a serious condition that affects quite a number of people and if it is not discovered and treated in time its consequences may be fatal to those suffering from it. It is important to understand that this so-called disease is not a normal physical disease, that can be diagnosed by a doctor, it is a mental condition of the person suffering from it, so detecting and treating it may not be that easy, mostly due to the fact that the person involved will not cooperate with you, because it is a known fact that those suffering from anorexia nervosa do not admit that they have a problem. The causes of anorexia nervosa are psychological, it may be caused by something that happened in the patient's childhood or by some of the modern lifestyle problems like stress and pressure. It usually occurs at people who feel that they have lost control over their own lives and want to prove that they are still in control over their bodies. People who suffer from anorexia are feeling lonely and they separate themselves from society in a certain manner. So, the symptoms of anorexia nervosa are not too easy to detect, and if you suspect a loved one or one of your friends to be suffering from this condition you should know a few things about its signs so that you can detect it and do all that you can for that person because anorexia eventually leads to death through starvation. And remember that whomever you suspect to be suffering from anorexia will not admit it if you ask them, and will lie and won't cooperate with you, which makes things a little harder. Anorexic people may me divided into two categories, those who carefully control each one of their meals and manage to stop themselves from eating with the help of a strong will, and those whose will is not that strong...