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• Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person binges and purges.
• The person may eat a lot of food at once and then try to get rid of the food by vomiting, using laxatives, or sometimes over-exercising.
• People with bulimia are preoccupied with their weight and body image.
• Bulimia is associated with depression and other psychiatric disorders.
• Because many people with bulimia can maintain a normal weight, they may be able to keep their condition a secret for years.
• If not treated, bulimia can lead to nutritional deficiencies and even fatal complications.
Signs and Symptoms:
People with bulimia may have the following signs and symptoms:
• Binge eating i.e. of high-carbohydrate foods, usually in secret
• Exercising for hours
• Eating until painfully full
• Going to the bathroom during meals
• Loss of control over eating, with guilt and shame i.e.
• Body weight that goes up and down
• Constipation, diarrhea, nausea, gas, abdominal pain
• Dehydration
• Missed periods or lack of menstrual periods
• Damaged tooth enamel
• Bad breath
• Sore throat or mouth sores
• Depression
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