Bulimia

Bulimia Nervosa: What You Need to Know

To be classified as bulimic according to the DSM-5, an individual would experience bingeing and purging episodes at least once a week for three months. Some studies suggest that genetic factors have an influence up to 83% for the development of bulimia, though the heritable traits are general, such as impulsivity, and not specific to bulimia itself. Research also shows that environmental factors can play a strong role in bulimia’s development.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), an episode of binge eating is characterized by both of the following:

• Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g. within any two-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances.
• A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g. a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).

Bulimia is more common than anorexia, presenting in 1% of young women compared to anorexia’s 0.3%. Nine out of 10 individuals suffering from bulimia are women. As with anorexia, bulimia recovery takes place over years, not months, though intensive treatment can be instrumental in fostering the initial change and recovery process.