When people talk about eating disorders, some people automatically think they mean anorexia nervosa. While it is the commonly talked about eating disorder, it isn’t the only one. Have you ever heard of bulimia nervosa? It is also a serious eating disorder that causes a person to have recurring binge eating episodes.
That’s not all there is to it, but after binge eating, they try to counteract their actions by extreme measures like throwing up, working out too much, or using laxatives.
Bulimia nervosa is pretty common, especially in young women. “Broken down by gender, bulimia develops in 1.5% of women and 0.5% of men, making it five times more common to develop in women,” as per Within. The main issue here is an intense fear of gaining weight and a really messed-up self-image. In this article, we’re going to look at the symptoms, causes, and impact of bulimia nervosa.
Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa
- Eating a lot of food within a short period of time, without stopping.
- Throwing up.
- Using laxatives to loosen up your poop.
- Taking diuretics to help you pee a lot.
- Exercising too much.
- Swelling in the hands and feet.
- Feeling tired or dizzy.
- Irregular periods for women.
- Feeling ashamed or guilty about eating.
- Worrying a lot about weight and body image.
What Causes Bulimia Nervosa?
Biological factors: Sometimes, it may not be your fault completely, as bulimia nervosa can run in the family. If someone in your family history has a similar condition to this, then you might be at a higher risk of getting it.
Another biological factor is the brain’s chemistry. Brain chemistry deals with neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that send messages between the nerve cells in your brain. They can also help in controlling mode and appetite and how well a person can handle stress.
One of these neurotransmitters is serotonin which helps in managing mood and appetite. If a person’s serotonin level is low they might feel depressed or anxious which will also mess with how much food they eat.
Another neurotransmitter is dopamine, which is typically described as the feel good chemical. It makes a person feel pleasure like when they eat something really yummy. But if a person continues to satisfy themselves as a result of the dopamine they get from doing something, in this case eating, it can increase their level of getting bulimia nervosa.
Psychological factors: There are a couple of psychological factors that have an effect on Bulimia nervosa. The first psychological factor that affects a person is low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is basically when a person doesn’t think very highly of themselves, or feels like they are never enough.
Having low self-esteem can change the way they feel about their body. Bulimia can start as a way to get control over how they eat and their body image, hoping that it will make them feel valuable or even accepted.
The next is perfectionism which involves setting unrealistically high standards. If you typically strive for perfection especially when it comes to your body or how your body appears, you become very obsessed with dieting and losing weight.
This behavior gradually turns into an obsession which can then lead to extreme behaviors like binge eating and even purging yourself using laxatives and diuretics, in order to reach that “perfectionist” goal.
Lastly stress and anxiety play similar roles in bulimia nervosa. When you are stressed or anxious you might see food as a way to cope with whatever situation that you might be going through. Binge eating can then become a temporary relief from stress. You’d probably be aware of the effect binge eating has on your weight. After binge eating, comes purging, which is a way for you to sort of deal with the guilt or anxiety that is associated with eating too much.
Social factors: Social media and society, including celebrities, have pushed the idea that you need to be a certain way in order to look pretty. In recent years, mass has idealized looking thin to be the newly accepted beauty standards. This constant pressure from society can lead to bulimia.
Not just societal expectations, but also high expectations from family members can also play a role in developing this condition over time.
Conclusion
Bulimia nervosa is a serious eating disorder where people binge eat and then try to undo it by throwing up, working out too much, or using laxatives. It’s especially common in young women and can be caused by a mix of genetic, brain chemistry, and psychological factors, as well as social pressures.
