Bulimia

by Dr John Winsor - The Sunday Times of Malta

1 Most people know about anorexia nervous when people deliberately starve themselves to keep
2 their weight down but bulimia, or excessive vomiting, is another extreme of the disorder.
3 Although bulimics have near normal weight, it comes at a price, and that is their health.
4 They delude themselves into thinking that the only way to keep the calories they have eaten from
5 turning into fat is to make themselves vomit or by taking excessive amounts of laxatives.
6 What they dont realise is that it is not an effective way of preventing the absorption of extra
7calories.
8 It isnt just women who can suffer from anorexia or bulimia, although women are 10 times more 9
liable
to
succumb
to
eating
disorders.
10 Bulimia may start after months or years of anorexia. It is essentially a teenage problem, though it
11
may
extend
into
adult
life
or
even
begin
then.
12 The frequent food binges by bulimics can lead to depression. The physical and psychiatric
13complications of his behaviour lead to educational, occupational, social and family problems.
14One of the obvious signs of bulimia is hard skin or marks on the back of the hand due to repeated
15abrasion of the skin as the hand is thrust down the throat to produce vomiting.
16 A dentist may also spot the condition as the salivary glands can become enlarged as well as the
17 teeth losing their enamel through repeated vomiting which causes the teeth to come into
18contact
with
abnormal
amounts
of
gastric
acid.
19And

it

is

not

just

the

outside

appearance

of

the

body

that

suffers.

20 Repeated vomiting also upsets the chemical balance of the blood, which can result in painful
21cramps,
fits
and
even
kidney
damage.
22A sympathetic ear is the first priority when it comes to treating the disorder.
23Once the problem is out in the open, the sufferer and their doctor, friends and family can join
24together
to
fight
it.
25 The person who has the disorder will need psychotherapy to tackle and overcome their
26behaviour. This will reveal why they feel they have to binge and vomit, and break the cycle.
27 There is help out there for anorexics and bulimics, but they must take the first step and seek help
28 from their doctors as soon as possible before they seriously damage their health.
29 Sponsored by the European Union - Leonardo Da Vinci Programme with Partners in Spain,
30France, United Kingdom and Hungary Promoted by Elanguest English Language School, Malta
31 Medical English Tools Home Learn English in Malta.

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