Bulimia nervosa ( from the Greek “boulimia” formed from “bous” meaning ox and “limos” meaning hunger) is a serious eating disorder where the person affected eats a great amount of food; feelings of guilt will make that person have a “purging” behavior, meaning he will vomit, fast, use laxatives, diuretics and other medications. Sometimes may also resort to overexercising.

            It is a known fact that people suffering from bulimia try to hide their condition. Unlike anorexia, a bulimic person will not necessarily be underweight as he heats a lot and often will be of normal weight or even overweight !

Other major signs of bulimia are:

-         Inappropriate behavior to avoid gaining weight, such as self-provoked vomiting, the abusive use of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills and other medications, fasting or excessive exercise.

-         The feeling that one can not stop eating or control the amount of food is eating.

-         Binge eating that occurs at least twice a week on average for three months

-         Keeping eating and after eating a secret so that one can binge and purge. Going to the bathroom often after meals (for vomiting, taking laxatives and diuretics). Eating alone in the kitchen at night when nobody is around.

-         Strange eating behaviors, avoiding to eat in other people’s company and if so taking very small portions; out of the blue one might have dietary likes or dislikes; cutting food in small pieces and chewing it excessively; trying to separate or pair different types of food on the plate; drinking a lot of diet soda or water.

-         Eating a large amount of food in a fixed period of time (a couple of hours) than a normal person would.

-         Having a schedule for binging sessions followed by the ritual of going to the bathroom leaving the water running to hide the sounds of self-induced vomiting, chewing gum to hide the smell of it afterwards.

-         Being worry about the weight loss, control of food and dieting the individual has a poor body image and has to make up wearing large clothes to hide the body shape. Also one perceives his body as being fat so will avoid looking in the mirror.

-         Excessive exercising; especially athletes that are trying to burn some calories and will often not eat enough while going through this regime.

-         Damaged hand skin or finger joints from sticking the fingers down the throat to provoke vomiting.

-         Vitamin deficiencies causing discolored teeth with less calcium than normal and also swollen, bleeding gums from the acid that comes with the vomit.

-         Stomach pain and a series of intestinal problems such as diarrhea and constipation.

-         Irregular menstrual periods or total lack of it.