Bulimia is a psychological eating disorder in which you have episodes of binge eating (consuming a large quantity of food in one sitting).MenuNewsFeaturesReferenceFindaPsychiatristWhatIsBulimiaNervosa?SymptomsWhatBulimiaDoestoYourBodyTreatmentPreventionAnorexiaNervosaBingeEatingDisorderDepressionEatingDisordersMentalHealthStressManagementSubstanceAbuse&AddictionTeenHealthWomen'sHealthCrisisAssistanceFindaPsychiatristMentalHealthEatingDisordersBulimiaNervosaMenuMedicallyReviewedbySmithaBhandari, MDonSeptember18,2020ArticlesOnBulimiaNervosaWhatIsBulimiaNervosa?SymptomsWhatBulimiaDoestoYourBodyTreatmentPreventionWhatIsBulimia?Bulimiaisapsychologicaleatingdisorderinwhichyouhaveepisodesofbingeeating(consumingalargequantityoffoodinonesitting).Duringthesebinges,youhavenosenseofcontroloveryoureating.Afterward,youtryinappropriatewaystoloseweightsuchas:VomitingFastingEnemasExcessiveuseoflaxativesanddiureticsCompulsiveexercisingBulimia,alsocalledbulimianervosa,tendstostartinlatechildhoodorearlyadulthood.Youusuallybingeandpurgeinsecret.Youfeeldisgustedandashamedwhenyoubinge,andrelievedonceyoupurge.Peoplewithbulimiausuallyweighwithinthenormalrangefortheirageandheight.Buttheymayfeargainingweight,wanttoloseweight,andfeelverydissatisfiedwiththeirbodies.BulimiaCausesandRiskFactorsWedon'tknowtheexactcauseofbulimia.Butresearchsuggeststhatamixtureofcertainpersonalitytraits,emotions,andthinkingpatterns,aswellasbiologicalandenvironmentalfactors,mightberesponsible.Researchersbelievethiseatingdisordermaybeginwithdissatisfactionwithyourbodyandextremeconcernwithyoursizeandshape.Usually,youhavelowself-esteemandfearbecomingoverweight.Thefactthatbulimiatendstoruninfamiliesalsosuggeststhatyoumightinheritariskforthedisorder.Otherriskfactorsinclude:BeingfemaleDepressionandanxietydisordersSubstanceusedisordersTraumaticeventsStressFrequentdietingBulimiaSymptomsDifferentpeoplemayhavedifferentsymptomsofbulimia.Youmaynoticechangesinbothyourbodyandyourbehavior.Physicalsymptomsofbulimiacaninclude:Dentalp