BULIMIA AND ANOREXIA

María Díaz
 WHAT ARE EATING DISORDERS?
THEY ARE DISEASES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ORIGIN THAT CAUSE
EFFECTS BOTH
ORGANIC AND EMOTIONAL LEVEL.
CONSIDER ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA AS TWO SIDES OF THE SAME
CURRENCY BUT WITH ITS OWN CHARACTERISTICS.
90% AFFECT WOMEN. (9 WOMEN FOR EVERY MAN)
 IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
ANOREXIAAND BULIMIAARE BOTH EATING DISORDERS. THEY CAN HAVE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS, SUCH
AS DISTORTED BODY IMAGE. HOWEVER, THEY’RE CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFERENT FOOD-RELATED
BEHAVIORS.
FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANOREXIA SEVERELY REDUCE THEIR FOOD INTAKE TO LOSE
WEIGHT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE BULIMIA EAT AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FOOD IN A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME, THEN PURGE OR USE OTHER METHODS TO PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN. ANOREXIAAND BULIMIA
ARE BOTH EATING DISORDERS. THEY CAN HAVE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS, SUCH AS DISTORTED BODY
IMAGE. HOWEVER, THEY’RE CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFERENT FOOD-RELATED BEHAVIORS.
FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANOREXIA SEVERELY REDUCE THEIR FOOD INTAKE TO LOSE
WEIGHT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE BULIMIA EAT AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FOOD IN A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME, THEN PURGE OR USE OTHER METHODS TO PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN.
 WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS?
EATING DISORDERS ARE USUALLY CHARACTERIZED BY AN INTENSE
PREOCCUPATION WITH FOOD. MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN EATING DISORDER
ALSO EXPRESS DISSATISFACTION WITH THEIR BODY IMAGE.
OTHER SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN SPECIFIC TO THE INDIVIDUAL CONDITION.
 ANOREXIA
ANOREXIA, OR ANXIETY. SOME PEOPLE MAY VIEW EXTREME DIETING OR WEIGHT LOSS AS A WAY TO REGAIN CONTROL
IN THEIR LIV OFTEN STEMS FROM A DISTORTED BODY IMAGE, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM EMOTIONAL TRAUMA,
DEPRESSIONES.
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS THAT CAN SIGNALANOREXIA.
THE PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS CAN BE SEVERE AND LIFE-THREATENING. THEY INCLUDE:
SEVERE WEIGHT LOSS
INSOMNIA
DEHYDRATION
CONSTIPATION
WEAKNESS AND FATIGUE
DIZZINESS AND FAINTING
THINNING AND BREAKING HAIR
 WHAT CAUSES AN EATING DISORDER LIKE THESE?
IT ISN’T CLEAR WHAT CAUSES ANOREXIA OR BULIMIA TO DEVELOP. MANY MEDICAL EXPERTS BELIEVE IT MAY BE DUE
TO A COMBINATION OF COMPLEX BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
THESE INCLUDE:
GENETICS. ACCORDING TO A 2011 STUDYTRUSTED SOURCE, YOU MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOPAN EATING
DISORDER IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO HAS ONE. THIS MAY BE BECAUSE OF A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO
TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH EATING DISORDERS, SUCH AS PERFECTIONISM. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE
WHETHER THERE’S TRULYA GENETIC LINK.
EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA OR HAVE MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, SUCH
AS ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION, MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOPAN EATING DISORDER. FEELINGS OF STRESS AND
LOW SELF-ESTEEM MAYALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THESE BEHAVIORS.
 HOW ARE EATING DISORDERS DIAGNOSED?
IF YOUR DOCTOR SUSPECTS THAT YOU HAVE AN EATING DISORDER, THEY’LL RUN
SEVERAL TESTS TO HELP MAKE A DIAGNOSIS. THESE TESTS CAN ALSO ASSESS ANY
RELATED COMPLICATIONS.
THE FIRST STEP WILL BE A PHYSICAL EXAM. YOUR DOCTOR WILL WEIGH YOU TO
DETERMINE YOUR BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). THEY’LL LIKELY LOOK AT YOUR PAST
HISTORY TO SEE HOW YOUR WEIGHT HAS FLUCTUATED OVER TIME. YOUR DOCTOR WILL
LIKELY ASK ABOUT YOUR EATING AND EXERCISE HABITS. THEY MAY ALSO ASK YOU TO
COMPLETE A MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE.
 ANOREXIA
OVER TIME, ANOREXIA CAN CAUSE:
ANEMIA
ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE
ARRHYTHMIA
BONE LOSS
KIDNEY FAILURE
HEART FAILURE
IN SEVERE CASES, DEATH MAY OCCUR. THIS IS POSSIBLE EVEN IF YOU AREN’T YET
UNDERWEIGHT. IT CAN RESULT FROM ARRHYTHMIA OR AN IMBALANCE OF
ELECTROLYTES.
 ANOREXIAAND
BULIMIA
Although anorexia and bulimia are very similar, people with anorexia are usually very thin and
underweight but those with bulimia