Knowing how to help someone with bulimia isn’t easy for anyone. It’s especially difficult for parents. 

Bulimia can touch teenagers; some start eating in unusual patterns long before they qualify for a formal bulimia diagnosis. Spotting the early signs can help you intervene and get your child the proper treatment.

Bulimia and acne are closely related. Bingeing and purging can harm your skin in visible and persistent ways, and it’s hard to clear up acne while your eating disorder persists.

Bulimia can cause other unsightly changes to your skin too. And sometimes, those problems are so noticeable that your friends and family ask questions.

Bulimia medication could be part of your recovery plan. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can ease physical symptoms, reduce urges, and help you feel better. 

Researchers say bulimia medications are generally helpful. [1] One medication, fluoxetine, is FDA-approved for bulimia treatment. Your doctor can dip into other options if you don’t respond to this treatment.

The terms exercise bulimia and anorexia athletica are synonyms. They refer to a condition many live with, but few experts have studied it. If you have lost control of your exercise habit, you may need to keep reading.

Before bulimia and after—you can probably split your life into these two parts, and chances are, you’d like the “after” part to begin as quickly as possible. Recovery from bulimia isn’t quick, and most people need months (or years) to complete the process. [1] But your hard work is worthwhile.

Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder that is plagued by a lot of misinformation online. For instance, many people think of anorexia as a condition affecting only women. But that isn’t true.

We’ve outlined some important anorexia facts and myths below and cover some tips on the best ways to avoid further misinformation when doing your own research online.

Anorexia and hair loss are connected, primarily due to the fact that nutrition plays a significant role in hair health. 

As a person begins to radically alter their diet and eat less than the recommended amount of nutrients every day, they can develop a number of health symptoms, hair loss included.

Manorexia is not an official medical term, but it is commonly used in the media to define anorexia in men.

Anorexia is an eating disorder that is characterized by distortions in body image, an obsession with weight, and significant food and/or calorie deprivation. Someone with anorexia often has serious food restriction.

More than one person dies every hour as a result of an eating disorder, which equates to more than 10,000 deaths each year in the U.S. (1) Of all mental health disorders, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. (2)

An estimated 30 million people in the United States have had an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. This equates to about 20 million women and 10 million men.

Gastroparesis is common in people with feeding and eating disorders like anorexia. Studies show that about half of those presenting with gastroparesis symptoms also show signs of a feeding or eating disorder.

Anorexiant diet pills are often stimulant medications that are similar to amphetamines. As such, they have a high potential for abuse and are very habit-forming. 

Extreme anorexia is the most serious form of anorexia. It occurs when a person is severely underweight and malnourished from intentionally starving themselves to lower their weight. 

BMI (body mass index) is still one of the diagnostic tools for anorexia, but it is merely a height-to-weight ratio and not an accurate indicator of health. And people in higher weight bodies can also suffer from anorexia, yet are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because they’re not thin enough. So BMI should not be used to diagnose anorexia or assess health in any way. [1]

Anorexia comes with physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms. People suffering from anorexia often fear gaining weight and restrict food and calorie intake. They have a distorted body image, and they are often underweight and malnourished.

You can take a self-assessment, know the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and recognize the signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN), but a professional medical opinion should alway be considered when trying to determine if you do have bulimia or any eating disorder.

Signs of bulimia can be subtle and easy to explain away. But if you look closely, you could discover that someone you love is struggling. Together, you can seek out services and find a path forward.

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a mental health condition, but the eating disorder impacts all facets of health, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Physically, untreated bulimia can lead to heart disease, digestive distress, kidney disease, and more. The condition also often interplays with other mental health issues like depression and anxiety, and that can lead to emotional health concerns, as well.

People with bulimia nervosa will go to great lengths to hide their illness from others. Few people with this eating disorder will tell their friends and family about their bingeing and purging episodes. But some symptoms are hard to ignore, and you must speak up when you see them.

Researchers say the lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa is about 1%. But is that number accurate? (1)

Out of every 10 people with an eating disorder, only about one gets treatment. Chances are, there are many other people in the world right now with bulimia who are undiagnosed.

Traditional therapies for bulimia nervosa (BN) fall into two categories: pharmacologic (medication) and nonpharmacologic. This section will briefly describe the nonpharmacologic therapy, or psychotherapy options for bulimia nervosa, how they can help, and how to get the best results.

There are several criteria that need to be met in order to have a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa, including eating a large amount of food in less than two hours and excessive concern about body weight and shape.

In addition to symptoms, those suffering from bulimia nervosa also have accompanying feelings of distress, remorse, and self-loathing.

Those with bulimia nervosa (BN) often struggle with negative perceptions about their body shape, size, and weight. To attempt to prevent weight gain, they might abuse medications, a type of compensatory behavior. Medications misused by people with bulimia nervosa include diet pills, laxatives, diuretics, emetics, and enemas.

It’s not uncommon for someone with bulimia to suffer from a co-occurring mental health disorder. Sometimes an eating disorder will develop after a different mental health condition, or the conditions may start simultaneously. In either instance, treatments are available to help individuals with bulimia and a co-occurring mental illness.

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a complex eating disorder affecting millions of people of all genders in the United States. (1) The causes of bulimia nervosa can range from person to person, and include multiple factors. Some individuals are more heavily influenced by environmental factors and genetics, while others develop bulimia nervosa due to mental health conditions or their relationship to exercise and dieting.

If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, you may want help but not know where to turn. But there are a number of eating disorder hotlines, which can help you get relevant information about eating disorder treatment, associated mental health issues, and more.

ANAD Eating Disorder Helpline: 1-630-577-1330

Eating disorders are mental illnesses defined by abnormal dietary habits, such as eating excessively small or large amounts of food, that have the potential to cause major physical and mental problems. Most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.

Eating disorders are extremely damaging to your mental health because feelings of anxiety, shame, and guilt tend to build up and push you into isolation from your loved ones. Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States, yet, due to the social stigma attached to it, most people who have the disease do not seek the treatment they need. (1)

Eating disorders are one of the most dangerous types of mental health disorder, responsible for an estimated 10,200 deaths every year. (1) There are a number of different types of eating disorders, which all impact people in different ways. 

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes an unhealthy body image. You may think you’re too heavy, even though a doctor might disagree. Your intense desire to lose weight or avoid weight gain causes you to diet, exercise to excess, or lean on medications.