Bulimia nervosa is a type of eating disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain. This behavior is largely driven by a person’s perception of their body shape, size, and weight, which greatly influences their emotional well-being and sense of self-worth.
Binge eating episodes are characterized by:
- Eating a much larger amount of food than most people would eat in a similar period of time within any 2-hour period
- Feeling that they can’t stop eating or control what or how much they’re eating
Inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain may include:
- Self-induced vomiting
- Inappropriate use of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications
- Fasting
- Excessive exercise
These episodes occur on average two times per week for three months. They are further characterized as mild, moderate, or severe based on the number of compensatory behaviors each week.
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