What is bulimia?

In: Bulimia
Answer:
Bulimia is an Eating Disorder that deals with excessive weight loss through self-starvation and sometimes through purging (vomiting, laxative usage), excessive exercising, refusal to maintain normal weight, intense fear of weight gain, obsessive preoccupation with weight and shape, loss of menstrual periods, distorted body image and so on. Bulimia Nervosa specifically is characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by purging, usually done in secret, weight ranges from below to above average (may be difficult to detect), feeling out of control of food intake, purging after bingeing via self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, excessive exercise, or starvation, obsessive preoccupation with weight and shape. Bulimics are deceptively so and usually extremely close to normal weight, but their weight may go up and down, fluctuating dramatically.
Note: There are comments associated with this question. See the discussion page to add to the conversation.
This answer is closed to changes. This is done in rare cases when questions are being vandalized or answers have become debates. E-mail reopen @ answers.com (no spaces) if you would like it to be reopened.
Contributor: James
First answer by Redbeard. Last edit by James Cassett. Contributor trust: 39 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 65 [Recommended].
user-generated content