The Effects of Bulimia on Women

A detailed Summary of The Effects of Bulimia on Women

More than five million Americans suffer from eating disorders. It is estimated that eighty-five percent of eating disorders begin during the adolescent age and may last through the mid twenties. However, Bulimia Nervosa is one of the many eating disorders that affect five percent of females in the American population.

Eating disorders are considered to be psychiatric disorders which in many cases, may lead to life-threatening and medical-related problems. Although eating disorders fall under the category of psychiatric diagnosis, there are a number of nutritional and medical problems that require the knowledge of a registered dietitian. The dietitian needs to be aware of the specific populations at risk for eating disorders and the special considerations when dealing with these individuals. Their main role is to help normalize eating for the patient with Bulimia Nervosa. (3)

Bulimia Nervosa, commonly referred to as BN, is one of the many eating disorders that is characterized by binge-eating, lack of control over binges, awareness that the eating pattern is abnormal, and therefore a post-binge guilt and depression. The binges may be followed by purging through the use of self-induced vomiting, laxative and or diuretics

The first reports of binge-eating in BN were based on the descriptions provided by patients during clinical assessments. Binge-eating episodes are frequently depicted as being driven by "carbohydrate craving". It has been shown that patients tend to eat fattening carbohydrate-rich foods when binge-eating but tend to abstain from carbohydrate-rich foods when not binge-eating. However, the most recent laboratory data regarding the individuals with BN were performed in a human-feeding lab where subjects resided and their eating behavior was monitored. In one study, investigators characterized the binge-eating behavior of twenty-one women of normal body weight with BN, who spent three days in the laboratory. On the first day, the patients were instructed to binge-eat; on the next day, they were instructed to eat as they would at home on a day that they did not binge. The eating behavior of the patients was compared to that of eleven normal women who were instructed to eat normally on both days. On the day they were asked to binge-eat, the patients consumed a total of 9,540 kcal; while controls consumed an average of 619 kcal. To sum it up, this laboratory study have found evidence that patients with BN engage in overeating that is outside the range of normal eating behavior. Another study asked twenty-five outpatients to report what they consumed during a typical binge-eating episode. The average siz

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Category: Science