Bulimia nervosa have been found in medieval writings as self-starvation. It is more common than anorexia and it begins early in adolescence. It is characterized by cycles of bingeing and purging and takes the following pattern: bulimia is triggered when young women attempt restrictive diets. Patients are taking laxatives, diet pills or drugs to reduce fluids.



Patients revert to severe dieting, excessive exercise or both. Patients with bulimia average about 14 episodes of binge-purging per week. However a patient must binge and purge at least twice a week for three months to be diagnosed with bulimia. The body weight may fluctuate by more than 10 pounds because of the binge-pure cycle.

An aversion to food that leads to a state of starvation and emaciation is called anorexia nervosa which includes: normal body weight with about 15%-60%, an intense fear of gaining weight, even he or she is severely underweight and the distorted image of the weight and shape. The people with anorexia are called also anorexia restrictors or anorexic bulimic patients.

Anorexia restrictors reduce their weight by severe dieting while anorexic bulimic patients maintain emaciation by purging. Literally anorexia means absence of appetite. For example severe anorexia is common in the elderly. Anorexia nervosa is another kind of anorexia called psychological disorder. Compulsively over eating is also called binge eating and means becoming overweight.

A person suffering from binge-eating disorder has the following characteristics: bingeing at least twice a week for six months, consuming 5,000 to 15,000 calories in one sitting, eating three meals a day plus frequent snacks, over eating continually throughout the day, rather than consuming large amounts of food during binges.

Binge-eating disorder is associated with weight gain. Another category of eating disorders are not otherwise specified (NOS) disorders. It has been established to define eating disorders not specifically defined as anorexia or bulimia. NOS includes the following: infrequent binge-purge episodes, repeated chewing and spitting without swallowing large amounts of food and normal weight and anorexic behavior.

Bulimia and anorexia are the most common disorders nowadays but fortunately a variety of techniques and modalities improved a lot so people can be helped.