Bulimia nervosa is a common eating disorder. It is most common among young women, where 1-2% are affected. It is characterized by a craving for food, where you rapidly wolf down much more food than your body needs. People with bulimia sometimes cannot stop themselves from eating more and more. More or less successful methods are then used by the individual to prevent an increase in weight e.g.:

With self-purging:

• producing vomiting after compulsive eating More about vomiting
  or
• self-purging with laxatives or enemas Risks with self-purging. Laxatives and diuretics.

Without self-purging:

• starving ( more ) or fasting after compulsive eating or
• excessive physical exercise More about excessive exercise. More about exercise.

Bulimics are frequently able to maintain normal weight or slightly less than normal weight despite their eating disorder, but there are also those with drastic swings in weight. Bulimics usually alternate between compulsive eating and periods of getting rid of the food and fat using different methods.

The fasting or vomiting usually ends with renewed hunger, causing a new period of frenzied eating.

People with Bulimia often feel that they are unable to control their own eating.

People who have these symptoms, but weigh much less than normal, are usually classified as suffering from anorexia, or bulimic anorexia, not bulimia.

Causes Treatment of bulimia nervosa.