Bulimia – Causes and Symptoms

Bulimia is a type of eating disorder that is common among women. This disease is characterized by eating a lot of food within a short period of time which is followed by different measures to control weigh gain. Persons suffering from this disease which is also known as bulimia nervosa engage in several practices that jeopardizes their health such as induced vomiting, following a strict diet, exercising even when sick, and taking in laxatives.

The causes of bulimia are still not established though. It is certain however, that this eating disorder is a result of several factors that involves one’s health, family, culture and environment. Bulimia treatment centers, for example, observe that some bulimic persons have unhealthy disrupted teeth and dental cavities that are too sensitive to either hot or cold foods. This health status is believed to be a factor that triggers bulimia.

Prevailing cultures also affect the development of bulimia among men and women. Mass media, for example is filled with pictures of those who have the ‘ideal body’ image shown in skinny, flawless, thin frames. Cultures silently instills among people that being sexy is getting petite, thin body frames, like those of bulimic fashion models.

Bulimia is most likely to happen in families where the mother or a sibling suffering the eating disorder. This could also happen in families where being thin is given such a big deal, or dieting is stressed. Low self-esteem and anxiety can also result to bulimia.

Those who have bulimia exhibit several signs and symptoms of this eating disorder. Bulimic persons have excessive concern about their body shape and weight and have the notion that they have to shed off more weight, even when they are already thin and frail. These persons often resort to binge eating, taking in excessively large amounts of food within a short period of time, and then purges it back for fear of gaining additional weight. This period is called binge eating and purging.