15 Facts About Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa, known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight.

Bulimia nervosa is frequently associated with other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder and problems with drugs or alcohol.

Bulimia nervosa is more common among those who have a close relative with the condition.

Bulimia nervosa is about nine times more likely to occur in women than men.

Bulimia nervosa was named and first described by the British psychiatrist Gerald Russell in 1979.

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Bulimia nervosa has negative effects on a person's teeth due to the acid passed through the mouth from frequent vomiting causing acid erosion, mainly on the posterior dental surface.

Bulimia nervosa has been compared to drug addiction, though the empirical support for this characterization is limited.

Onset of bulimia nervosa is often during adolescence, between 13 and 20 years of age, and many cases have previously experienced obesity, with many relapsing in adulthood into episodic bingeing and purging even after initially successful treatment and remission.

Adolescents with bulimia nervosa are more likely to have self-imposed perfectionism and compulsivity issues in eating compared to their peers.

Bulimia nervosa can be difficult to detect, compared to anorexia nervosa, because bulimics tend to be of average or slightly above average weight.

Bulimia nervosa occurs more frequently in developed countries and in cities, with one study finding that bulimia is five times more prevalent in cities than in rural areas.

Bulimia nervosa is thought to be more prevalent among Caucasians; however, a more recent study showed that African-American teenage girls were 50 percent more likely than Caucasian girls to exhibit bulimic behavior, including both binging and purging.

The first documented account of behavior resembling bulimia nervosa was recorded in Xenophon's Anabasis around 370 B C, in which Greek soldiers purged themselves in the mountains of Asia Minor.

Bulimia nervosa's reportedly consumed dozens of oranges and several pounds of tomatoes each day, yet would skip meals.

Bulimia nervosa specified treatment options and indicated the seriousness of the disease, which can be accompanied by depression and suicide.