Anorexia and Bulimia

A variation of Anorexia, Bulimia ranges from excessive food intake, to an out of control compulsive cycle of binge eating where extraordinary amounts of any available food, usually of high carbohydrate content, may be consumed. Once having gorged, the victims are overcome with the urge to rd themselves of what they hate eaten by purging themselves, usually by vomiting, and sometimes by massive doses of laxatives. Between these obsessive bouts, most are able to accept some nutrition. Whereas the anorexic sufferer fears fatness from anticipated loss of eating control, and unlike the anorexic sufferer the typical bulimic individual is not emaciated, but usually maintains a normal body weight and appears to be fit and healthy.

However, the obsessive binge purge cycle causes them deep distress, shame, guilt, self-loathing and social isolation, and many will go to any lengths to hide their “shameful” secret from the family and friends. Typical Sufferers The anorexic or bulimic may be either sex, but the smaller percentage is in males. However the male percentage is on the increase. Most sufferers come from middle and upper income families, and are usually highly intelligent. Anorexic and bulimic people are often perfectionists, with unrealistically high expectations. They frequently lack self-esteem, with their feelings of ineffectiveness and a strong need for other peoples’ approval. Causes There is at present no generally accepted view of the causes of anorexia or bulimia. Most authorities believe the problem to be psychologically based, possibly stemming from family and social pressures, or other forms of stress in our modern environment. Where a high value is placed on slim-ness, women are most likely to be judged on their appearance, against a heavy background of high carbohydrate junk food promotion. Often, the illness is triggered by a major change in the person’s life. Age and Extent Anorexia tends to start in early the early teens, whereas bulimia usually occurs in the late teens and older age groups. Sometimes bulimia develops out of anorexia, but can occur without a previous history of anorexia. It often persists over many years. It is known girls as young as 8 years of age had displayed an unhealthy pre-occupation with dieting. The full extent of the problem is not known, but estimates very from one in every hundred school girls with anorexia, to six percent of Australian women with bulimia. Since bulimia is not a physically obvious condition, the numbers could be far higher. Social Isolation People who have anorexia or bulimia have probably been feeling isolated and friendless for a long time. This may have been one of the factors contributing to their belief that they are essentially unacceptable people. However, the condition itself increases social isolation. Sufferers dare not let people get too close to them in case their real self, which they