Is bulimia a simple choice? Enter and discover what is behind this disorder and what its true causes and consequences are.
The DSM-5 manual estimates that between 1 and 1.5% of young women suffer from this disorder and it usually begins in late adolescence and early adulthood. Although there are men who suffer from bulimia, it is estimated that for every 10 women there is one man who suffers from it. It is one of the disorders with the highest risk of suicide and is commonly linked to other psychological disorders such as depression and mood disorders. anxiety
At a social level, eating disorders are one of the most stigmatized disorders, that is, certain characteristics are usually negatively associated with people who suffer from it. “It’s a whim”, “She just wants to get attention”, “That’s what she has chosen”, “She doesn’t have bulimia because she isn’t thin” and a host of attributions that, far from helping people who suffer from it, They remove the possibility of asking for help. Are all these questions really true? Find out through this article and learn what risk factors are associated with this disorder.
What is bulimia and how is it different from anorexia?
The bulimia (also called bulimia nervosa ) is a type of eating disorder in which the person has frequent binge eating episodes. These episodes are characterized because those who suffer from it usually lose control over what they eat and consume a quantity of food greater than what most people could eat in the same amount of time and these are usually foods that in “normal” situations they would avoid. eat. This behavior is followed by actions to compensate for what was ingested either through vomiting or through other forms such as laxatives and diuretics. Both binge eating and compensatory behaviors must be maintained for at least 3 months to be able to diagnose this disorder and depending on the frequency we can differentiate between different ones. types of bulimia However, this disorder does not focus exclusively on eating disorders, but another of the bulimia symptoms It is the affectation of one’s own self-evaluation. In fact, people who have bulimia often base their self-esteem on their weight or body shape.
Although we can interpret that people with bulimia are underweight, the reality is that the majority of people are usually between a normal weight or even overweight. Therefore, body mass index is not a criterion for diagnosing this disorder and, in fact, it is one of the aspects that differentiates it from anorexy This last disorder does involve the presence of low or lower weight than expected according to age as symptomatology.
Causes:
It is currently unknown that there is an exact cause or causes that can explain bulimia, but its development does not lie in a simple choice or in an intention to attract attention, but goes much further. Although no single cause has been found, it has been shown that social pressure to be thin is a factor that precipitates and maintains eating disorders. In fact, it was found that a large proportion of people diagnosed with bulimia previously started inappropriate diets to lose weight. In this sense, it has been studied that there are certain aspects that are risk factors, that is, they make it more likely that a person suffer from bulimia.
Risk factor’s:
Genetics: The fact that there are more women than men who suffer from bulimia apart from being due to a social factor, it has also been proven that there are certain genetic aspects that influence the development of this disorder. The study of twins has determined that having a monozygotic twin sister or brother (who share the same genetic material) with bulimia increases by 55% the possibility that the twin will also end up developing this disorder. Although today there remains much to investigate in relation to this aspect, it seems that genetics influences the appearance of this disorder.
Low self-esteem and negative affect: Low self-esteem is often a risk factor for various psychological disorders. In the case of adolescents, it is known that low self-esteem is strongly linked to body dissatisfaction. Social pressure, together with possible ridicule and criticism from peers and/or family, can cause the person to end up comparing their own body with that of others, thus aggravating this dissatisfaction. In fact, having high self-esteem is a protective factor for the development of any eating disorder. On the other hand, the presence of depression or depressive symptoms also increases the probability of suffering from an ED since it increases the risk of feeling bad about one’s own body.
Overweight or obesity: Being overweight or obese during adolescence is a risk factor for the development of any eating disorder. In fact, some research has found that having a high body mass index, along with social pressure to lose weight and comparison with others, were factors that precipitated unhealthy behaviors for weight loss. On the other hand, it has also been found that being overweight or obese during prepuberty can lead to the early appearance of sexual maturation, a fact that contributes to dissatisfaction with one’s own body and, therefore, to the appearance of bulimia or another disorder. of eating behavior.
Media: It is inevitable that the media influences our behavior. In the case of eating disorders, the media plays a role in both development and maintenance since it is through the media that a single body model is valued and imposed for both men and women. women. Through these, strategies are promoted to lose weight and achieve the “ideal” body while obesity is stigmatized despite the fact that attractive but unhealthy foods are promoted daily for adolescents and children. This fact ends up generating communication that is completely opposite to an audience that is in the process of forming its own identity.
Culture: Eating disorders do not occur in the same way in all cultures, but the appearance of these disorders is not associated with a single region or culture. It has been shown that the acculturation process, that is, the process of adaptation of an individual from one culture to another, is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. However, there is still much to research on this aspect to understand how culture really affects the development of these disorders.
Influence of close relationships: Interpersonal relationships are of great importance and can sometimes be part of the risk in acquiring certain psychological disorders. In this case, the family is the most important risk factor related to dissatisfaction with one’s own body. Specifically, families that exercise excessive control over their children’s diet have a negative impact on the adolescent’s body image.
Inappropriate diets: Sometimes, with the aim of achieving the body ideal, diets such as fasting are carried out without any medical follow-up. In fact, fasting is one of the aspects that can predict the onset of bulimia. The fact of carrying out strategies to lose weight is related to the appearance of disorders and feelings of frustration due to not being able to control what is ingested.
If you suffer from bulimia or know someone who suffers from this disorder, do not hesitate to ask for professional help in order to learn about the different treatments available. Eating disorders involve various consequences both physical (low potassium either hypokalemia heart problems, etc.) and psychological (interpersonal problems, depression, etc.) so the support of a qualified professional is needed.
