Purging does Not Prevent Weight Gain

Purging isn’t effective at getting rid of calories, which is why most people suffering with bulimia end up gaining over time. Vomiting immediately after eating will only eliminate 50% of the calories consumed at best-and usually much less. This is because calorie absorption begins the moment you put food in the mouth. Laxatives and diuretics are even less effective. Laxative gets rid of only 10% of the calories eaten, and diuretics do nothing at all. You may weigh less after taking them, but that lower on the scale is due to water loss, not true weight loss.

Bulimia Nervosa

            Bulimia Nervosa is bouts of over eating followed by vomiting in young girls. Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder which a person desires to loose weight but can’t overcome their desire to eat, after eating she encourage herself to vomit of what she had eaten. Normally they vomit within two hours after eating.   

This vicious cycle of binging and purging takes a toll on the body, and it’s even harder on emotional well-being. But the cycle can be broken. Effective bulimia treatment and support can help you develop a healthier relationship with food and overcome feelings of anxiety, guilt, and shame.

Three Features of Bulimia

Regular episodes of out-of-control binge eating

Inappropriate behavior to prevent weight gain

Self-worth excessively influenced by weight and physical appearance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signs and Symptoms of Purging
Going to the bathroom after meals:	Frequently disappears after meals or takes a trip to the bathroom to throw up. May run the water to disguise sounds of vomiting.
Using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating.	May also take diet pills to curb appetite or use the sauna to “sweat out” water weight.
Smell of vomit:	The bathroom or the person may smell like vomit. They may try to cover up the smell with mouthwash, perfume, air freshener, gum, or mints.

Binge and Purge Eating

Dieting triggers bulimia’s destructive cycle of binging and purging. The irony is that the more strict and rigid the diet, the more likely it is that you’ll become preoccupied, even obsessed, with food. When you starve yourself, your body responds with powerful cravings—its way of asking for needed nutrition.

 

Unfortunately, purging only reinforces binge eating. Though you may tell yourself, as you launch into a new diet, that this is the last time, in the back of your mind there’s a voice telling you that you can always throw up or use laxatives if you lose control again. What you may not realize is that purging doesn’t come close to wiping the slate clean after a binge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Binge Eating Signs and Symptoms

Lack of control over eating: Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain. Secrecy surrounding eating: Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy. Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight. Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food. Alternating between overeating and fasting: Rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food. Excessive exercising: Works out strenuously, especially after eating. Typical activities include high-intensity calorie burners.

Signs and Symptoms of bulimia

If you’ve been living with bulimia for a while, you’ve probably “done it all” to conceal your binging and purging habits. It’s only human to feel ashamed about having a hard time controlling yourself with food, so you most likely binge alone. If you eat a box of doughnuts, then you’ll replace them so your friends or family won’t notice. When buying food for a binge, you might shop at four separate markets so the checker won’t guess. But despite your secret life, those closest to you probably have a sense that something is not right.

 

Physical Signs and symptoms of bulimia
Signs and Symptoms	Due to
Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands	from sticking fingers down the throat to induce vomiting.
Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks	caused by repeated vomiting
Discolored teeth	from exposure to stomach acid when throwing up. May look yellow, ragged, or clear.
Not underweight:	Men and women with bulimia are usually normal weight or slightly overweight. Being underweight while purging might indicate a purging type of anorexia.
Frequent fluctuations in weight:	Weight may fluctuate by 10 pounds or more due to alternating episodes of bingeing and purging.

Effects of bulimia

When you are living with bulimia, you are putting your body—and even your life—at risk. The most dangerous side effect of bulimia is dehydration due to purging. Vomiting, laxatives, and diuretics can cause electrolyte imbalances in the body, most commonly in the form of low potassium levels. Low potassium levels trigger a wide range of symptoms ranging from lethargy and cloudy thinking to irregular heartbeat and death. Chronically low levels of potassium can also result in kidney failure

Complications and Adverse effects of Bulimia include

Weight gain Abdominal pain, bloating Swelling of the hands and feet Chronic sore throat, hoarseness Broken blood vessels in the eyes Swollen cheeks and salivary glands Weakness and dizziness Tooth decay and mouth sores Acid reflux or ulcers Ruptured stomach or esophagus Loss of menstrual periods Chronic constipation from laxative abuse

The dangers of ipecac syrup

If you use ipecac syrup, a medicine used to induce vomiting, after a binge, take caution. Regular use of ipecac syrup can be deadly. Ipecac builds up in the body over time. Eventually it can lead to heart damage and sudden cardiac arrest, as it did in the case of singer Karen Carpenter.

 Bulimia causes and risk factors

There is no single cause of bulimia. While low self-esteem and concerns about weight and body image play major roles, there are many other contributing causes. In most cases, people suffering with bulimia—and eating disorders in general—have trouble managing emotions in a healthy way. Eating can be an emotional release so it’s not surprising that people binge and purge when feeling angry, depressed, stressed, or anxious.

Major causes and risk factors for bulimia include:

Poor body image: Our culture’s emphasis on thinness and beauty can lead to body dissatisfaction, particularly in young women bombarded with media images of an unrealistic physical ideal.

Low self-esteem: People who think of themselves as useless, worthless, and unattractive are at risk for bulimia. Things that can contribute to low self-esteem include depression, perfectionism, childhood abuse, and a critical home environment.

History of trauma or abuse. Women with bulimia appear to have a higher incidence of sexual abuse. People with bulimia are also more likely than average to have parents with a substance abuse problem or psychological disorder.

Major life changes: Bulimia is often triggered by stressful changes or transitions, such as the physical changes of puberty, going away to college, or the breakup of a relationship. Binging and purging may be a negative way to cope with the stress.

Appearance-oriented professions or activities: People who face tremendous image pressure are vulnerable to developing bulimia. Those at risk include ballet dancers, models, gymnasts, wrestlers, runners, and actors.

Therapy

Poor body image and low self-esteem are at the core of bulimia, therefore, psychotherapy is an important part of recovery. Here’s what to expect in bulimia therapy:

Therapy for Bulimia
Breaking the binge-and-purge cycle	Changing unhealthy thoughts and patterns	Solving emotional issues
– The first phase of bulimia treatment focuses on stopping the vicious cycle of bingeing and purging and restoring normal eating patterns. You learn to monitor your eating habits, avoid situations that trigger binges, cope with stress in ways that don’t involve food, eat regularly to reduce food cravings, and fight the urge to purge.	– The second phase of bulimia treatment focuses on identifying and changing dysfunctional beliefs about weight, dieting, and body shape. You explore attitudes about eating, and rethink the idea that self-worth is based on weight.	– The final phase of bulimia treatment involves targeting emotional issues that caused the eating disorder in the first place. Therapy may focus on relationship issues, underlying anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of isolation and loneliness.

 

Helping a person with bulimia

It’s painful to know your child or someone you love may be binging and

purging. You can’t force a person with an eating disorder to change and you can’t do the work of recovery for your loved one. But you can help by offering your compassion, encouragement, and support throughout the treatment process. Here are a few ideas for what you can do today to help make a difference for tomorrow.

Do:

Don’t:

Be a cool customer. No matter how worried you are, approaching your loved one with alarm is not the best approach. Stash away the eating disorder articles for now. Find a neutral place to chat and: (1) calmly say what you’ve noticed, and (2) explain why you’re worried. Talk and listen. Let compassion be your guide. Make sure they know you intend to listen. Keep in mind they might feel defensive or angry. It’s embarrassing to talk about binging and purging. But if they do come to you for a listening ear, show no judgment, even if they sound unstable. Take “solve” out of your vocabulary. As a parent or friend, there isn’t a lot you can do to “fix” your loved one’s bulimia. They must decide on their own when they are ready to move forward. Set an example of healthy eating, exercising, and body image. Never make negative comments about your own body or anyone else’s. Be good to yourself. Know when to seek advice for yourself from a counselor or health professional. Keep your friends and relatives involved in the support network.

Be the food police. A person with bulimia needs kindness, not nutritional advice. Use insults, fear, guilt, or embarrassment. Since bulimia is often a caused by a form of stress and self-hate, negativity will only make it worse. Let kindness, compassion, support and empathy be your guide. Support from friends and family is always helpful for recovery.