Bulimia Nervosa: Introduction, Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

This report provides a detailed overview of bulimia nervosa, a life-threatening psychological eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging behaviors. It begins with an introduction to bulimia nervosa, defining the disorder and its key characteristics. The report then explores the two main types of bulimia nervosa: purging and non-purging types, explaining the differences in compensatory behaviors. It further delves into the various causes of bulimia, including environmental, genetic, cultural, and psychological influences. The report also outlines the signs and symptoms associated with bulimia nervosa, such as eating in privacy, weight fluctuations, and electrolyte imbalances, and details the effects of bulimia on the body, encompassing issues like tooth decay, irregular heartbeats, and complications in childbirth. Finally, the report discusses the treatment approaches for bulimia nervosa, which includes terminating the binge-purge cycle, addressing negative thoughts, resolving emotional issues, and the use of medications like antidepressants. The report is based on the information from the provided references.

BULIMIA NERVOSA

INTRODUCTION
• Bulimia Nervosa is commonly known as bulimia is a major life-
threatening and psychological eating disorder.
• This eating disorder is characterized by ingestion of abnormally binge
eating further followed by purging (Volpe et al., 2016).
• Binge eating is defined as consuming large amount or quantity of food
in a short span of time, whereas purging is defined as the process of
ridding rid of food by involuntary vomiting, excess consumption of
diuretics and prolonged exercise.

Source: (Volpe et al., 2016)

TYPES OF BULIMIA NERVOSA
There are two major types of bulimia nervosa explained as follows
(Hirst et al., 2017):
1. Purging type- This type of disorder accounts for the patient who are
suffering from bulimia nervosa eating disorder where the patient will
engage in self-engaged or induced vomiting or consumption of
diuretics or laxatives.
2. Non-Purging type- This type of disorder accounts for the patient
who use different inappropriate means of compensating the binge
disorder like regular fasting or exercise.

CAUSES OF BULIMIA NERVOSA
The causes of bulimia nervosa is initiated due to multiple factors such as
environmental, genetic, cultural and psychological influences. Few
causes of bulimia includes the following (Kekic et al., 2016):
• Negative body appearance
• Deprived self-esteem
• Background history of trauma
• Stressful life change or transition

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The sign and symptoms of bulimia nervosa includes the following (Nagl
et al., 2016):
• Eating in privacy
• Fluctuation in weight
• Chronic dehydration
• Inflammation of esophagus
• Infertility
• Lack of eating control
• Electrolytic imbalance

EFFECTS OF BULIMIA ON THE BODY
The major effect of bulimia nervosa on the human body are as follows
(Westmoreland, Krantz & Mehler, 2016):
• Tooth decay
• Sore throat
• Facial swelling
• Irregular heartbeat
• Complication in giving birth
• Dry skin
• Hemorrhoids

TREATMENT OF BULIMIA NERVOSA
Treatment of bulimia involves few recovery process to overcome the
root or cause of bulimia such as low self-esteem or negative body
appearance. Few treatment approaches of bulimia includes the following
(Sachs & Mehler, 2016):
1. Terminating the binge-purge series or cycle.
2. Enhancing the negative thoughts and beliefs
3. Solving the emotional issues or concerns
4. Consumption of medicines such as antidepressants.

REFERENCES
• Hirst, R. B., Beard, C. L., Colby, K. A., Quittner, Z., Mills, B. M., & Lavender, J. M. (2017). Anorexia nervosa
and bulimia nervosa: A meta-analysis of executive functioning. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews,
83, 678-690.
• Kekic, M., Bartholdy, S., Cheng, J., McClelland, J., Boysen, E., Musiat, P., ... & Schmidt, U. (2016). Increased
temporal discounting in bulimia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49(12), 1077-1081.
• Nagl, M., Jacobi, C., Paul, M., Beesdo-Baum, K., Höfler, M., Lieb, R., & Wittchen, H. U. (2016). Prevalence,
incidence, and natural course of anorexia and bulimia nervosa among adolescents and young adults.
European child & adolescent psychiatry, 25(8), 903-918.
• Sachs, K., & Mehler, P. S. (2016). Medical complications of bulimia nervosa and their treatments. Eating
and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 21(1), 13-18.
• Volpe, U., Tortorella, A., Manchia, M., Monteleone, A. M., Albert, U., & Monteleone, P. (2016). Eating
disorders: What age at onset?. Psychiatry research, 238, 225-227.
• Westmoreland, P., Krantz, M. J., & Mehler, P. S. (2016). Medical complications of anorexia nervosa and
bulimia. The American journal of medicine, 129(1), 30-37.