Angie Berlinski
Psychology 101
Psychological disorder

Bulimia Nervosa Many young women have developed abnormal eating related behavior. The growing preoccupation with slimness has caused girls and young women to feel overweight or fat, even if they are a normal weight. One big factor is the media for the fact that it gives a set image to the world of what a beautiful person looks like. The major issue with this is that in our day and age, our generation is an electronic one. Everything around us has something to do with the media and it is what young teenagers are most associated with. Such an image of being skinny or any other characteristic that is found to be physically attractive, is poisoning our minds and is causing people to doubt themselves and lose faith in what they once thought made them beautiful to the world. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge eating in which an individual feels a loss of control over food consumptions and eats very large amounts of food in single sittings. The person then uses extreme measures to avoid weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretic abuse, fasting, or excessive exercise. (Keel) People with bulimia are self conscious about their weight and body image. It is a very serious and dangerous eating disorder and it affects almost fifteen percent of American teenagers. In the book Eating disorders by Pamela K. Keel, she states that, “Bulimia nervosa affects how an individual feels, thinks and behaves, and it impacts physical health and how the person gets along with others.” There are many symptoms with this eating disorder. One of many symptoms is people with bulimia eat large amounts of high calorie foods, sometimes even up to 2,000 calories every 3 hours, but they do this not around others. This is called binge eating; they have a secret obsession with food. Another symptom is getting rid of the calories they’ve eaten by making themselves vomit, taking laxatives, and exercising too much. “Self-imposed vomiting, which may take hours per session, gets rid of only a few calories and is extremely hard on the digestive system, throat and heart.” (Keel) Another very common symptom with this eating disorder is depression. Many people with bulimia suffer from depression, anxiety, and OCD. These problems, combined with their impulsive tendencies, place them at increased risk for suicidal behavior. Those are only a few of the many different symptoms there are associated with bulimia nervosa. There are many other signs and symptoms such as mood swings, irregular periods, heartburn, vomiting blood, dehydration, damaged teeth, going to the bathroom after every meal, eating until the point of discomfort or pain, etc. While there is not a known cause for bulimia, there are many factors as to why a person may become bulimic. Most people with bulimia share certain personality traits such as low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and a fear of becoming fat. Bulimia is generally considered to be an emotional and psychological disorder but studies show that it may be genetically linked. “There are significant studies that claim bulimia is related to major affective disorder, and might be caused by heredity and chemical imbalanced in the body.” Only 5% of bulimics are men” (Hall), while three in every 100 American women suffers from bulimia. The reason for women being bulimic more than men is because “women tend to have lower self-esteem than men.” (Hall) “ Women are expected to act in a “ladylike” way” (Lindsay Hall) There are high standards for how a women should look. Women are expected to be petite, which is why a lot of teenagers become depressed when they think they don’t meet the expectations. Patients with bulimia nervosa are treated in a number of varying ways. Psychotherapy is one way bulimia could be treated. Any type of counseling where you