Does your physical appearance just make you want to hurl?

If so, try your best not to toss your cookies.

If you only knew the severity of bulimia and some of its horrific symptoms, it alone would make you want to lose your lunch.

Bulimia, of course, is the eating disorder that results in abnormal eating followed by intentional vomiting. It is a condition suffered by millions of Americans, most commonly young females who are insecure about their bodies or others who are obsessed with self-image.

Bulimia is not to be mistaken with anorexia, the eating disorder characterized by excessive dieting and extreme thinning. Therefore, most bulimics are not abnormally thin.

However, the effects are no less threatening.

Those who are not treated properly have been known to relapse, fall into deep depression, and yes, attempt suicide. Although the origin of bulimia is up to speculation, many doctors and researchers believe that it is linked to both insecurity and fear of failure. Hence, they’ve concluded that the part of the brain that stimulates your appetite and your demeanor play a vital role in its cause.

It is commonly believed that most bulimics suffer the condition through traumatic childhood events (perhaps a poor upbringing) which in turn has created a fear of becoming overweight. Most bulimics judge success by their body types.

Here are a few clues that could tell you if you suffer from bulimia:

- depression resulting from poor eating habits - severe dieting - a frequent fluctuation in weight - suffering from weakness or dizziness - obsession with your weight/body - excessive exercise aimed at weight loss

There are various methods of treating such conditions, of course, depending on what the severity and the nature of the symptoms entail. Like any other disorder, a bulimic must first acknowledge that he or she suffers from the problem.

Secondly, there are several ways to treat bulimics, whether it’s through counseling, psychiatric help or the issuing of prescription medication, particularly antidepressants.

There are also several precautions to safeguard yourself from the perils of bulimia. Eating nutritious meals on a regular basis, and perhaps supplementing them with vitamins, is a good way to keep the threat of bulimia at bay.

One way to resolve the problem could be as simple as resolving some of the other personal issues in your life. Try to live a healthy, active lifestyle with realistic goals, always maintaining a positive, winning attitude.

Bulimia
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