Bulimia nervosa

Author : Dr Sara M. Buckelew, Assistant Clinical Professor and Director, Eating Disorder Program University of California, San Francisco 2008-07-19

Introduction

Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder, which typically affects 2% of adolescent/young adult women in the United States and other western industrialized nations .[1] The word “bulimia” means a condition characterized by perpetual insatiable hunger with bouts of overeating. BN is a mental health disorder characterized by episodes of overeating followed by some compensatory mechanism aimed at weight loss such as underreating, use of laxatives, self-induced vomiting, or compulsive over-exercise. Most people who have this disorder are characterized as bulimics. The disorder is often associated with depression and anxiety about gaining weight. Individuals with BN have an intense preoccupation with food and their weight. They differ from people who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa (AN) as they are not striving to be thin, the driving force in AN. Most individuals with BN have normal weight. In this knol, when we refer to “Bulimia” we are referring to Bulimia Nervosa (BN).

Anorexia nervosa

Author : Dr Sara M. Buckelew, Assistant Clinical Professor and Director, Eating Disorder Program University of California, San Francisco . 2008-06-10

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder that typically affects adolescent girls, with an average prevalence of 0.3% in young women. [1] The word “anorexia” means loss of appetite, a symptom in other diseases.  Most people with the diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa are referred to as having “anorexia,” which is technically not correct. In many ways, people with AN do not lose their appetite, but rather are preoccupied with food.