When someone has a fear that is very, very overweight that can interfere with their self-confidence, then the person will look for various ways to deal with the problem. Do you know there are disorders that deal with the problem of fear of excess weight? The disorder is said to be eating disorders. Eating disorders are divided into two, namely bulimia nervousa and anorexia nervousa. This time we will discuss more about bulimia nervousa.

Is bulimia nervous?

Bulimia comes from Greek which means "hungry like a bull". This disorder includes episodes of rapid consumption of large amounts of food, followed by compensatory behavior, such as vomiting, fasting, or excessive exercise, to prevent weight gain. DSM defines overeating as eating large amounts of food in less than two hours. There is one striking difference between Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa, which is weight loss. Patients suffering from Anorexia nervosa experience drastic weight loss, while Bulimia nervosa patients do not.

In Bulimia, overeating is usually done quietly, can be triggered by stress and various negative emotions that result from it, and continues until the person feels very overwhelmed (Grilo, Shiffman, & Carter-Campbell, 1994). Bulimia nervosa sufferers say that they lose control when overeating, even to the point of experiencing something similar to dissociative conditions, may lose consciousness of what they do and feel that they are not overeating. They are usually ashamed of the condition and try to cover it up.

Bulimia nervosa usually occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood. About 90 percent of cases occur in women, and the prevalence in women is estimated to be around 1 to 2 percent of the population. Many Bulimia nervosa patients are overweight before the onset of the disorder, and overeating often starts on a diet. Bulimia nervosa is associated with a number of other diagnoses, especially depression, personality disorders, especially borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and behavioral disorders. In twin studies it was found that bulimia and depression are genetically related (Walters et al., 1992)

After overeating, disgust, discomfort, and fear that if you gain more weight triggers the second stage of Bulimia nervosa, a drain to eliminate the effects of calorie intake due to overeating. Most often sufferers insert their fingers into the throat to choke and vomit. Abuse of laxatives and diuretics and fasting and excessive exercise are also done to prevent weight gain.