Features of Bulimia Nervosa

Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa that characterise the development of the condition are:

• The onset of Bulimia Nervosa is generally in late adolescence.
• There is an intense irrational fear of becoming obese.
• The patient suffers from what is known as 'body image disturbance,' where the person is unable to perceive the body size accurately.
• The person suffering from bulimia is not necessarily underweight.
• A predisposing factor of concern about shape and weight is present.
• Statistics on Bulimia Nervosa show a quarter of the patients as having an earlier history of Anorexia Nervosa.
• Bulimia frequently follows a phase of dietary restrictions that with time worsens, with alarming frequencies of overeating (Binge Eating).
• As this phenomenon of Binge Eating continues, the patient, at a certain stage, adopts self-induced methods like vomiting or abuse of laxatives as a compensatory action.

The characteristic warning signs of Bulimia include:

Very odd eating habits, like:

• A preference to eat alone or in secrecy.
• Regular pattern of sudden disappearance of the individual after eating.
• Sudden changes in preference for choice food.
• Sudden disappearance of huge quantities of various food items, and the presence of short-eat wrappers found hidden in the room or other whereabouts.
• Eating large quantities of food but showing no signs of weight gain.

Other features include:

• Exercising excessively.
• Distorted thoughts about their body, and hence avoiding looking into a mirror.
• Most of the patients try to wear loose ill-fitting clothes in order to hide their bodies.
• Presence of discoloured and scratched fingernails due to their usage for vomiting by sticking them down the throat.
• Tooth and mouth problems like discoloration and ulcers.
• Constant and regular inflammation and irritation of the throat.
• Irregular or absent periods.