Anorexia and Bulimia

Just 30 years ago, women had to be round and plump in order to be considered beautiful. Today, if we believe television, movies and fashion magazines, being thin is the key to beauty, success and happiness.

It is not surprising then that 90% of cases of anorexia and bulimia appear during adolescence and the early twenties when the female body is undergoing major changes. In addition to these changes, “becoming a woman” is accompanied by feelings of fear and anxiety related to sexuality. Family problems (alcoholism, violence, depression, communication problems, overprotective or uninvolved parents) may have a huge impact on an adolescent’s self-image and how she reacts to her environment.

The search for control

Puberty, entering the adult world, a marriage, a divorce or any rupture of an important relationship are all events that can greatly disrupt someone’s life. For the majority of anorexic and bulimic individuals, refusing to eat normally is a way to gain control, to prove that they are in control of their own bodies. This need for control is more prominent in impulsive people and perfectionists with low self-esteem.

Anorexia is an eating disorder where the victim refuses to eat to properly maintain his/her body and has an exaggerated preoccupation with his/her body and shape; he/she may use laxatives for weight loss and is constantly dieting. The main signs that a person is anorexic are a sudden and large loss of weight (25% of normal weight), absence of menstruation, eating incredibly small quantities of food and a tendency to exercise excessively.

Bulimia is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to eat large quantities of food (especially junk food), after which the victims punish themselves by forcing themselves to vomit before having digested the food to keep themselves from gaining weight.

Treatment

It is difficult to get anorexic and bulimic individuals to discuss their disorders. The person denies the problem or says that he/she is fat and must lose weight. It is important to voice your concerns about the situation. If the person refuses to admit that she/he has a problem, you need to discuss this with your family doctor, who will be better able to decide if the person is suffering from an eating disorder and make a referral to a specialist.

According to the natural weight theory, the body is programmed to maintain its weight within a certain range. If the body is deprived of food, its metabolism slows and the body has difficulty regaining its natural weight. It may take as long as a year for the body to stabilize after years of dieting.

The treatment of anorexia and bulimia is therefore a long process. It consists of identifying the factors that contributed to the person’s distorted body image and showing the person that she/he can face stressful situations without depriving his/her body of food. The person must then re-learn how to eat properly, to eventually eat three meals a day with a caloric intake of at least 1 200 calories.

Anorexia and bulimia often go hand in hand. A refusal to eat often alternates with episodes of excessive eating followed by self-induced vomiting. That cycle is very dangerous if it is not stopped. It can lead to physical complications such as infertility and even death (cardiac arrest). It is therefore important to consult a physician as soon as possible if you suspect that a person is anorexic or bulimic.