Cause and Effect Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa, more commonly known simply as bulimia or binge and purge disorder, is an eating disorder that affects 1 in 4 college-aged women. The most common misconception concerning bulimia is that it is simply a physical or mental problem. Many people do not understand that bulimia is a disease that affects both the mind and the body, and in its course can destroy both aspects of the diseased individual.
Bulimia affects a variety of different people, but generally the victims will fall tend to fall into certain categories. Those at highest vulnerability to this disease are young adult females, ages 12 to 18. The disease, however, can start as early as elementary school, or much later in life. Others such as women who participate in ice skating or dance may also be pressured into starting bulimic habits. Males who perform in athletics such as wrestling are at high risk for developing the disease as well.
Bulimia may also contain ties to diseases such as clinical or manic depression. Bulimics often start out with anorexia which is starvation and excessive exercising, or may turn to anorexia after being bulimic. Bulimia is marked by significant cycles in eating habits. Bulimics will often starve themselves for extended periods of time prior to a massive binge, during which they consume abnormal amounts of food in a short period of time. These binges are followed by purging, which generally is constituted by self-inflicted vomiting. Other methods of purging the body include the use of diet pills, laxatives, and excessive exercising.
Bulimics are generally within what is considered to be a normal weight range, but see themselves as being fat, or suffer from an intense fear of gaining weight. They often do realize that they have a problem, but by that point the cycle has become an obsession. Bulimics usually weigh themselves frequently, even several times daily. Bulimics also suffer from an emotional cycle of guilt, and depression. They feel pride when they...