When Bulimia strikes, a child's life could be altered forever.
Behind the face of a binge eater could be a teen struggling from peer pressure and prejudice; and the only resolution she knows to keep herself from being ridiculed is by refusing to eat.
Sadly, this simple change in diet could turn to a tough and life-threatening health condition Bulimia Nervosa starts off with a very misleading image: a person with normal body weight (or some could start off overweight) indulges in food and everything in between.
Sweets, spicy food, junk food, pastries-name it, a Bulimia victim will eat it.
However, along the way, she will decide to compensate for her food intake and will do certain actions to lose the food, the calories, and eventually, the nutrition.
She could start taking laxatives, diuretics, and certain medicines intended for body excretion of food.
Teens who hope to look like skinny models could be aiming for the wrong dream as they slowly fall victim into the hands of Bulimia.
Other than laxatives, a Bulimia sufferer could turn to other ways of purging the food through self induced vomiting, too much exercise, and fasting.
Excess use of laxatives and slimming medication are common as well.
Other than the person's body reacting negatively to the sight of food, the psyche of a victim could abhor food as well.
Bulimia is also an idea formed in the mind of a patient that gaining weight is a big no-no for him/her.
Although minding one's weight is a healthy decision, demonstrating signs of bulimia shows a wrong and destructive way of gaining control.
A person with bulimia often shows the following signs.
By observing your child or friend intently, you will be able to identify is she is a sufferer before it is all too late.
-Eating too much.
Bulimics will taste almost anything edible they can get their hands on, most commonly unhealthy foods like junk foods and those with high calorie content.
Most times, this casual trait could turn into a daily habit and the patient will not have control over his/her "addiction" for food.
-Great loss of weight.
After a heavy meal or a food fest, he/she decides to lose the intake by taking laxatives, excessive exercising or worse, vomiting.
This will continue until she is satisfied that she is thin enough.
-The dream to stay slim.
Most patients will complain about their weight and body frame wishing they were thinner even when they are extremely thin themselves already.
They will be desperate and obsessed with the dream of staying slim.
-Daily exercise gone wrong.
Exercising is a good habit-when it's for the good cause, but for those with Bulimia, excessive exercise could be dangerous.
Too much exercise could eventually lead to extreme thinness.