Bulimia Nervosa - Research Paper Example

Bulimia Nervosa Introduction Bulimia Nervosa is a common problem found among teenagers and adults all over the world. In this disorder, a person over eats and purges the food consumed by them. As a result of this disorder a person consumes excessive amount of food and later get rid of the food by vomiting. Bulimia is commonly practiced by weight watchers who are excessively obsessed by their weight and body image. It is a very dangerous disorder and mostly females are victimized with it as they are more body and beauty conscious. This disorder is found to have connection with depression and other psychological disorder and can be dangerous to health if not identified at right time. The people with bulimia nervosa keep the disorder secretive for many years and hence normal people find it hard to recognize it. This disorder need serious treatment, and if left to escalate can give fatal results and complication on the health of the patients. According to (Robert,447-448)“Bulimia nervosa seems to be a predominantly urban and Western disorder. However, it is being increasingly recognized in the more affluent, urban and Westernized sections of populations throughout the world”. Genetic susceptibility to this disorder can be traced to the anorexia nervosa, which is another kind of food related disorder. The society also has a very big hand in the relevance to bulimia nervosa as the concept of slim body is always a thing of admiration to people all over the globe. Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa The people suffering from bulimia nervosa should be getting treatment as soon as they realize they are on the edge of the disorder, It is mostly , not possible for the suffers themselves to recognize the disorder ,unless their family notice it. There are many signs and symptoms which enable the recognition of the disorder easier and present the patient for treatment. They can be detailed as follows: a) Person being underweight is a major sign that they could be suffering from bulimia nervosa. The weight loss is because of the excessive malnourishment and absence of nutrients from the body. b) The people suffering from this order can be seen with swollen glands and can have distorted vessels under the eyes. They may also have sore throat and puffiness in the cheeks due to constant purging or vomiting. c) Fatigue and muscle spasms are also an evident symptom of people suffering from bulimia. This is because people with disorder have less nutrients and protein supply which hamper the growth and maintenance of muscle of the body. d) Frequent weight fluctuation is also a sign of bulimia nervosa, as person is very active with binge dieting and vomiting consistently. e) Tooth decay is also widely seen in people who suffer from bulimia. This is due to the acids from abdomen coming in contact with tooth as purging occurs, which is an unnatural process. As per (Padolsky)“If left untreated, bulimia tooth decay can destroy all of a bulimic's teeth. The hydrochloric acid in vomit melts teeth by dissolving a tooth's crystal coating. The outer coating of a tooth is made up of white enamel which protects the tooth”. f) Electrolyte imbalance is another main irregularity that can be faced by bulimic people .This can bring about variance in the heart beating pattern and can in some cases lead to heart attack. g) Missed or absence of periods is also a symptom of bulimia. This is because starvation and lack of nutrition can bring about imbalance in hormones and can lead to instability in menstrual periods. h) Bad breath is a sign of bulimia disorder as there is complication with digestion process. e) Depression is another obvious symptom of this disorder as the victim has no control on eating habits and develops frustration and discomfort. Cause of Bulimia and risk related to this disorder The cause of bulimia is very vague and unknown, even though there are various theories attached to its origin. Hereditary and gene do have some role to play as people with a family member suffering from bulimia have a higher risk of developing this disorder.“The cause of bulimia is not clear, but it probably results from a combination of family history, social values (such as admiring thinness), and certain personality traits (such as perfectionism)” (Health Wise).Mainly people who are subjected to criticism about their body image and look are more tend to be victimized to bulimia. The disorder can also come to a person who has history of psychological disorder or mood disorder. If an individual have low self esteem and confidence, then he can come under the influence of binging and purging. Some bulimic people have also shown a history of coming under sexual abuse or exploitation. They may also depict problems like self mutilation, depression and obsessive compulsion disorder. It is seen that artists, dancers, models and athletes mainly show signs and symptoms of bulimic disorder. The disorder has few risk factors which may influence the occurrence of it. They can be described as follows. a) Gender: It is commonly found that women and girls are more prone to bulimia rather than men or boys. Bulimics are mostly female and seven million females in US are affected with this disorder(Cohen,98). b) Age: Age is a very important factor which decides the emergence of disorder in a person.This disorder is mostly prevalent during early adulthood or adolescent stage. c) Family history: People who have parents or immediate family members with this disorder are more likely to develop it than other people. d) Dieting: People who become thin because of dieting are often received by positive comments for their changed body outlook. So they continue to go for dieting in an extreme fashion to become more appealing and get enslaved by bulimic disorder. e) Criticism from family: People who are in a family with lot of criticism are more at risk of developing bulimia rather than normal people. The family may negatively comment about the body and appearance of the victim which lead them to go for binging and purging. f) Emotional disorder: Individuals who are subjected to psychological diseases like obsessive and compulsive disorder, depression and anxiety disorders are more prone to bulimia. g) Artistic and sports activities: The people in show business and glamour world are usually seen to be affected by bulimia nervosa than common people. Actors, TV personalities, models and athletes are more often bulimic than ordinary people. Treatment of Bulimia When one is suffering from bulimia, giving treatment to victim at the right time and manner is very important. There are several types of treatment to bulimia and they are as follows. a) Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is a very significant treatment for bulimic disorder and in this case the patient is given space and time to discuss about their issues and conditions leading to this disorder. Psychotherapy is given in the form counseling, talk therapy and psychosocial therapy. b) Medications: Anti – depressants have widely shown to be a successful treatment for people suffering from Bulimia. “It is generally found that the depressed and non –depressed patients appear about equally responsive to anti –depressant medications”(Halmi,13). This is because mostly people suffering from bulimia also have signs of psychological disorders. c) Nuritional Education: Imparting nutritional education is very vital in treating the people victimized to bulimic disorder. Bulimic disorder is not simple as people think, and it requires lot of effort and determination from the patient to overcome it. If the suffers knows that they are harming their health by depriving it of essential nutrients then they can make effort to come back to normal health. d) Hospitalization: All cases of bulimia do not require hospitalization. However, if the patient is in chronic stage, they definitely will require treatment at hospitals. Majority of bulimic people recover from hospitalization, but some don’t entirely get over from the disorder. Conclusion Bulimia is a disorder which gained much attention in few decades, and is a disorder which has no specific reason for origin. Many researches have been carried out to find out the real reason for this disorder. It is not a simple disorder as people recognize it to be, as it has caused serious health problems and complication is many adults and teenagers. Mostly women are sufferers of this illness as they are addicted to the thin body image and sex appeal. We can also blame the media and show business for projecting a thin body image to the young generation and adults and influencing them in attaining wafer – thin figure. Surprisingly, it has found by researchers that women or girls with bulimic disorder have distorted brain chemistry since birth time, and are exposed to higher risk of becoming bulimic in future. A recent study by medical experts have also revealed that this eating disorder is not because of a person’s desire to be thin, but just because of a chemical imbalance in their brain. However, few bulimics will admit their disorder, but most of them will not admit that they frequently binge and purge. Parents are the one who can easily find out the characteristic conditions connected to bulimic behavior. (Christensen,1689-91).So if the family members are cautious and alert, they can very well help the bulimics in overcoming their disorder. Bibliography Cohen, Leonara. Coping for Capable Kids: Strategies for Parents, Teachers, and Students .1sted.,. Melbourne: Hawker Brownlow Inc., 2006. 98. Print. Christensen, Gordon. "Oral care for patients with bulimia ." Journal of the American Dental Association. 133.12 (2002): 1689-1691. Print Health Wise . "Bulimia Nervosa - Cause." www.webmd.com. Web MD, 16 -09-2009. Web. 12 Apr 2011. . Halmi, Katherine. Psychobiology and treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. 1st ed.,. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Pub, 1992. 13. Print. Palmer, Robert. "Bulimia nervosa: 25 years on ." British Journal of Psychiatry . 185.5 (2004): 447-448. Print. Padolsky, Dr. "Bulimia Tooth Decay." www.atlantadentist.com. Atlanta Dental Group, 2011. Web. 12 Apr 2011. . 1.The British Journal of Psychiatry (2004) 185: 447-448 © 2004 The Royal College of Psychiatrists EDITORIALS Bulimia nervosa: 25 years on Robert Palmer, FRCPsych 2.http://www.atlantadentist.com/bulimia_tooth_decay.html 3. 4Psychobiology and treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa  By Katherine A. Halmi 5.Coping for Capable Kids: Strategies for Parents, Teachers, and Students  By Leonora M. Cohen, Erica Frydenberg Read More