Anorexia and Bulimia – The Similarities

Both Anorexia and Bulimia have the same underlying cause – low self-esteem. With today’s society putting so much emphasis on what is perceived as the “perfect” body and weight, those people with eating disorders see themselves as imperfect.

However, that is not the only underlying cause. Depression and abuse – emotional, verbal, sexual and physical – are also common factors that contribute to the eating disorders of Anorexia and Bulimia.

It is important to note that depression and abuse are not always a factor but that it is prevalent in many cases. In addition, in both disorders, eating is out of their power and self-control. Both of their focus is on food, although there are different ramifications.

Anorexia and Bulimia – The Differences

The result of Anorexia and Bulimia on a person’s health is very similar, but the steps leading up to the conditions are not. With Anorexia, a person consciously does not eat in order to achieve what they perceive as the “perfect” body When they look in the mirror, they do not see how gaunt and skeletal they appear. Rather, they see themselves as needing to lose “just a few more pounds.” With Bulimia, a person consumes large quantities of food to numb their feelings.

However, shame and guilt creep in and kick off the urge to purge. They purge via vomiting, excessive exercising, and the use of laxatives or diuretics. Anorexia becomes readily visible once a person drops way below a normal weight.

Yet, with Bulimics, they could appear to have a normal body weight or even appear slightly overweight. Unless you caught them in the act of bingeing or purging, you would most likely never guess there were any problems.

Medical issues are yet another area where Anorexia and Bulimia differ. For instance, with the constant bingeing and purging, Bulimics can suffer from decaying teeth and even stomach and esophagus problems, all stemming from the regurgitation of stomach acids.

People who suffer from Anorexia deal with a variety of health issues like the lack of a menstruation cycle and a lower body temperature. In both eating disorders, they do share some of the same medical problems not listed above like malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances and interruption of body eliminations.

Some of these medical issues lead to stroke or heart attack, which is the leading cause of death in people with eating disorders. So while there are some similarities in these two eating disorders, they are also vastly different.

Rather, bulimia is really all about control. A person with bulimia feels that they are not in charge of their life. That lack of control is often what instigates the destructive binge-purge cycle called bulimia.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to bulimia, many of them about physical appearances. This is probably why bulimia has the highest concentration among teenage girls.

For a girl, how they look is important and the slightest derogatory comment could lead to a bulimic episode. On top of that, teenagers, particularly girls, can be spiteful, further spurring those feelings of inadequacy in a person with bulimia.

Depression and genetics are possible causes of bulimia along with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a stressful situation or a prior trauma. However, no matter what the underlying causes are, why is the urge to purge so addicting to bulimics? This is where the control factor comes in. Bulimics need to numb themselves against the pain, so they eat. Sometimes, they plan binge eating sessions in advance, usually with a lot of sweets and other junk food.

Other times, a bulimic episode comes on suddenly. When bulimics binge, they often do so alone, in secrecy. Initially, eating the large quantities of food produces a type of euphoria, distracting them from the real problems in their lives.

However, this euphoria doesn’t last and the guilt and shame in what they are doing sets in. While dealing with the guilt, they then focus on all the potential weight that they could put on due to the binge eating.

Bulimics will take care of those guilty feelings and shame by purging. Purging comes in a variety of forms with vomiting being the most common. However, purging could also entail strenuous exercising, weird dieting, laxative or diuretic usage and even fasting.

This binge-purge cycle causes the body’s endorphins is misfire, producing an unnatural high. This “high” feeling is addicting and before you know it, that first bulimic episode turns into two then three and many more.

Once the pattern of the binge-purge cycle is established, it is tough to break it. Some people experience a “high” from drug use or even extreme sports.

For a bulimic, the binge eating followed by the purge gives them the same type of “high” and that is a hard habit to break, just like with all types of addictions. Only through a doctor’s care and counseling can a bulimic recover.

Not all bulimics, however, induce vomiting. There is a second kind of bulimia, where the sufferer employs other behaviors, including fasting and extreme exercise. The sufferers of bulimia nervosa usually maintain average or above average weights, so they may be difficult to recognize.

They realize that they have a problem, however, and try very hard to hide it. On the other hand, they may not be against talking about matters related to diet. Bulimics are usually depressed and low self-esteem, feel isolated and alone, and may have insulting thoughts towards themselves.

The way they feel about themselves is based almost entirely on their appearance, so they become obsessed with their weight. One sign of the purging type of bulimia is excessive use of the bathroom after meals, which is when the person induces vomiting.

They may purchase large amounts of food that quickly disappear, and they may avoid eating around others to hide their unusual behavior.

Physical problems can include erosion of tooth enamel, caused by the stomach acid in vomit, tears in the esophagus, also caused by the stomach acid, swelling of the salivary glands, causing jaw swelling, rough skin on the back of the hand, caused by repeatedly using the fingers, which rub on the teeth, to induce vomiting, and signs of dehydration and weakness. Ipecac, commonly used to induce vomiting, can lead to heart failure and death.

Signs of the non-purging type of bulimia can also include the quick disappearance of large amounts of food, possibly followed by excessive exercise. People with this type may eat large amounts of food, and then go for long periods of time without eating anything.

They also will avoid eating around others to hide their problem. They might use diuretics and laxatives to increase their bodily output and keep weight off. The use of these drugs can cause irregular heartbeat and loss of proper heart function.

They may also show signs of dehydration and weakness from the use of the drug and excessive exercise, plus the practice of fasting between binges. Without treatment, both types of bulimia can lead to serious problems, including kidney and heart problems, heart attacks, digestive problems, and even death.