Bulimia
The main signs of bulimia are binge eating and purging (ridding your body of food by making yourselfvomit or taking laxatives).
There may also be psychological symptoms, such as:
Without treatment, bulimia can lead to a number of physical complications. The urge to eat can begin as an attempt to deal with emotional problems, but can quickly become obsessive and out of control.
Binge eating is usually a very quick process and you may feel physically uncomfortable afterwards. When binge eating isa symptom of bulimia, ithappens regularly, not just once or twice.
Binge eating episodesare sometimes spontaneous, where you eat anything you can find. They can alsobe planned, where you make a shopping trip to buy foods specifically to binge on.
After you have eaten lots of food in a short space of time, you may feel physically bloated and unattractive. You may also feel guilty, regretful and full of self-hatred.
However, the main impulse to purge is a powerful, overriding fear of putting on weight.
The most common methods of purging involve making yourselfvomit or using laxatives to encourage your body to pass the food quickly.
Less common methods of purging include taking diet pills, over-exercising, extreme dieting, periods of starvation or taking illegal drugs, such as amphetamines.
Bulimia is often a vicious circle. If you have the condition, it is likely that you have very low self-esteem. You may also think you are overweight, even though you may be at or near a normal weight for your height and build.
This may encourage you to set yourself strict rules about dieting, eating or exercising, which are very hard to maintain. If you fail to keep to these strict rules, you binge on the things that you have denied yourself. After feeling guilty about binging, you purge to get rid of the calories.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder and mental health condition where someone is binge eating, then making themselves vomit or using laxatives to purge the food from their body.
The main symptoms of bulimia are binge eating and purging (ridding your body of food by making yourself vomit or taking laxatives).
There is no simple answer to the question of what causes bulimia. Although the condition is linked to a fear of getting fat, more complex emotions usually contribute.
If you have an eating disorder such as bulimia, the first step is to recognise that you have a problem and visit your GP.
You can recover from bulimia, but it may be a long and difficult process. The first step towards getting better is recognising the problem and seeking help.
There are a number of physical complications associated with bulimia, including dental problems, irregular periods and bad skin.
Steve Blacknell, 55, used tosneak intothe kitchen in the middle of the night to eat in secret. He has been a recovering bulimic for 20 years.
Liselle Terret, 38,had bulimia between the age of 14and 23.I was struggling a bit at school and I wasnt very happy at home. It was classic 'middle-child
Mary Black, 48, who runs a small business in the Midlands, battled with bulimia for several years but eventually found the road to recovery."I think my bulimia