​​Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa (or simply bulimia) is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging.

Binge eating means eating a large amount of food very quickly and purging means trying to get rid of everything you ate by vomiting or taking a laxative (a medicine that increases bowel movements). You may also try other methods to lose weight such as diuretics (drugs to increase urine production by your body), stimulants (drugs to enhance body functions), fasting, or excessive exercise.

Bulimia is a serious and potentially life threatening disease. You may have a normal body weight and still be suffering from bulimia. However, suffering from bulimia means that you desperately want to lose weight because you are unhappy with your body image.

The binging and purging process is done secretly because you are ashamed of yourself. You may repeat this process several times a week. Bulimia is not really about weight loss and food management. It’s a much deeper emotional problem where you are unhappy with your self-image and you use it as a way to control your life. Bulimia is often accompanied by other psychological illnesses such as depression​, anxiety and substance abuse problems.

Bulimia can be categorized in two ways:

• Purging bulimia: This is when you regularly try to induce vomiting or misuse substances to purge after binging.

• Non-purging bulimia: This is when you use other methods to try to get rid of calories and prevent weight gain. These include fasting, strict dieting or excessive exercise.

When to seek expert advise

If you or a loved one has an unhealthy attitude towards eating and weight loss, seek help from your doctor working with the Section of Neurology at The Aga Khan University Hospital. If left untreated, bulimia can severely impact your health.

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