It is called Bulima Nervosa. It involves consuming large quantity of food in one sitting. This is accompanied by no sense of control over eating behaviour and is followed by inappropriate methods of trying to lose weight such as vomiting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives and diuretics or compulsive exercising.
Professor Peter Ortese of the Benue State University describe Bulima Nervosa as a disorder whereby the patient engages in binge – over eating, often not due to hunger but even when satisfied, the patient finds it hard to stop. In order words, the patient lacks control over his eating habit. This is basically an out of control dieting.
There are two types of Bulima Nervosa which include the purging type whereby the patient regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or intake of laxatives in order to rid himself of food after eating. The second type is the non-purging type whereby the patient uses excessive exercise or fasting to lose weight or rid self on calories consumed after binge.
The most common symptoms of Bulima Nervosa include among others:
– recurrent episodes of eating in secret and inability to control eating in quantity and time.
– self – induced vomiting, intake of drugs to reduce weight.
– regular eating of large amount of food over a short period of time.
– regular purging after intake of meals.
– retaining or regaining weight despite frequent exercise.
– not gaining weight but eating enormous amount of food at one sitting.
– always disappearing in to the bathroom for long periods of time to induce vomiting.
– regular abuse of drugs or alcohol or stealing.
– always depressed
– having irregular menstrual periods
– exhibiting dental problems, swollen cheek glands, bloating or scars on the back of hands from forced vomiting.
Bulima Nervosa can be attributed to such predisposing factors of biological/physiological genetic , social and social cultural factors.
It is believed that biological mechanisms interacting together or alone are responsible for corrupting normal body regulatory functions. In a bid to lose or gain weight, an individual may disrupt the normal regulatory processes which end result is biological changes in the nervous system which may in turn create more disruptions.
Research has also shown that eating disorders run in families. Relatives of individuals suffering from Bulima Nervosa especially the females are 4-5 times more likely to develop the disorder than those in the general population.
For example, inherited personality traits such as emotional instability and poor self-control could be prediposing factors to developing these eating disorders. Such individuals are said to take off stress by overeating.
Contemporary Western culture demands contribution to this eating disorder especially in Europe and America where there is personal freedom to self gratification and plenty of food at any time of the day for adolescents to feed on without supervision.
Again, some adolescents because of contacts at boarding schools and colleges with their colleagues seem to be more mindful of their physical appearance which makes them tend to resort to induced purging to be in shape.
Some sports that take place emphasis on physique such as ballet, gymnastics among others encourage athletes to become bulimatic.
The side effects of Bulima Nervosa are enormous. They include:
– social isolation
– risk mis carriages
– esophagal tear
– cardiac arrhythmia
– broken blood vessels
– predispositions to STDs, HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis. The psychological effects include depression, substance abuse and anxiety.
Some treatment strategies for Bulima Nervosa include:
1.Cognitive Behavioural therapy where the patient is counselled to change his negative beliefs, thoughts and perceptions to positive ones.
2.Patients are taught to self- monitor their food intake, thoughts and feelings that trigger these episodes.
3. Parents are also counselled on skills of proper dieting and self control for their Bulimic children.
4.Severe cases of Bulima Nervosa are treated with drugs which means you can always contact your doctor.
