Eating Disorders Bulimia Nervosa Signs

This is probably a very timely article with famous actress and singer Lindsay Lohan having just revealed that she suffers from the terrible eating disorder, Bulimia Nervosa. In this article we're doing to cover the basic characteristics of the disease.

Bulimia Nervosa is a serious and possibly life threatening disease. It is characterized by binge eating and behaviors to compensate for the binges such as induced vomiting. Bulimia Nervosa has three primary symptoms.

1. Regular eating of food in large quantities which is accompanied by a sense of loss of control over one's eating behavior.

2. Regular use of compensating behavior such as induced vomiting, or use of laxatives, diuretic abuse, fasting, and obsessive or compulsive exercise.

3. Extreme worry over body weight and shape.

Specialists have concluded beyond doubt that the chance of recovering from this horrible disease is directly proportional to how soon the disease is discovered and treated. Therefore it is important to be on the lookout for the warning signs of when someone might be suffering from this disease.

These are the warning signs of someone suffering from Bulimia Nervosa.

a. The disappearance of food from the fridge in a very short period of time. This is usually the first sign of binge eating. Also if you happen to find many wrappers or containers in the trash this is another sign of binge eating.

b. Evidence of purging behaviors, such as if the person makes frequent trips to the bathroom after meals or if there are signs, such as smells, of vomiting. Also check for packages of laxatives.

c. A rigid routine of exercise regardless of weather or how tired the person may be.

d. Unusual swelling of the area around the cheeks or jaw.

e. Also check for calluses on the back of hands or knuckles from induced vomiting.

f. Also check to see if the teeth are stained or discolored.

g. Creation of a very rigid routine in order to make time for bingeing and purging.

h. A person suffering from this disease will usually withdraw from society, especially from friends.

i. In general look for signs that weight loss, dieting and control of food intake has become an obsessive point in the person's life.

Bulimia Nervosa can be very harmful to a person's body. The cycle of bingeing and purging can take its toll on the digestive system and can drastically alter how it functions, even to the point of the system being unable to function properly on its own where the person can no longer keep food down. This can lead to terrible chemical imbalances in the body and in turn affect many of the major organ functions, including and especially the heart, which can only take so much stress from the bingeing and purging until eventually it can totally give out.

In our next article we will cover the consequences of Bulimia Nervosa and how to deal with them. We'll also discuss how to psychologically deal with a person who is suffering from this terrible disease.

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