Bulimia nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness characterised by recurrent binge-eating episodes (the consumption of abnormally large amounts of food in a ...Home~EatingdisordersA-Z~BulimianervosaBulimianervosaHome~EatingdisordersA-Z~BulimianervosaOnthispageWhatisbulimianervosa?WarningsignsofbulimianervosaPhysicalsignsandeffectsofbulimianervosaRecoveryandtreatmentSharePrintThispagetalksaboutbulimianervosaandprovidesinformationonwarningsigns,thephysicaleffects,andtreatmentandrecoveryoptions.Whatisbulimianervosa?Bulimianervosaisaseriouspsychiatricillnesscharacterisedbyrecurrentbinge-eatingepisodes(theconsumptionofabnormallylargeamountsoffoodinashortperiodoftime),immediatelyfollowedbyself-inducedvomiting,fasting,over-exercisingand/orthemisuseoflaxatives,enemasordiuretics.Bulimianervosadiffersfrombingeeatingdisorderasthebingeepisodesareassociatedwithasenseoflossofcontrolandareimmediatelyfollowedbyfeelingsofguiltandshame,whichthenleadsthepersontocompensatorybehaviours—i.e.toimmediatelypurgethemselvesofthefoodtheyjustate.Apersonwithbulimianervosausuallymaintainsanaverageweight,ormaybeslightlyaboveorbelowaverageweightfortheirheight,whichoftenmakesitlessrecognisablethanseriouscasesofanorexianervosa.Manypeople,includingsomehealthprofessionals,incorrectlyassumethatapersonmustbeunderweightandthiniftheyhaveaneatingdisorder.Becauseofthis,bulimianervosaisoftenmissedandcangoundetectedforalongperiodoftime.Bulimianervosaoftenstartswithweight-lossdieting.Theresultingfooddeprivationandinadequatenutritioncantriggerwhatis,ineffect,astarvationreaction—anoverridingurgetoeat.Oncethepersongivesintothisurge,thedesiretoeatisuncontrollable,leadingtoasubstantialbingeonwhateverfoodisavailable(oftenfoodswithhighfatandsugarcontent),followedbycompensatorybehaviours.Arepeatofweight-lossdietingoftenfollows,leadingtoabinge/purge/exercisecycle,whichbecomesmorecompulsiveanduncontrollableovertime.Warningsignsofbulimianervosa Someofthemorecommonsignsandsymptomsofbulimianervosaare:Difficultieswithactiviti