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The binge and purge cycle 
Dieting triggers bulimia’s destructive cycle of binging
and purging. The irony is that the more strict and rigid the diet, the more likely it is that you’ll become preoccupied,
even obsessed, with food. When you starve yourself, your body responds with powerful cravings—its way of asking for
needed nutrition. As the tension, hunger, and feelings
of deprivation build, the compulsion to eat becomes too powerful to resist: a “forbidden” food is eaten; a
dietary rule is broken. With an all-or-nothing mindset, you feel any diet slip-up is a total failure. After having a bite
of ice cream, you might think, “I’ve already blown It, so I might as well go all out.”
Unfortunately, the relief that binging brings is extremely short-lived.
Soon after, guilt and self-loathing set in. And so you purge to make up for binging and regain control.
Unfortunately, purging only reinforces binge eating. Though you may
tell yourself, as you launch into a new diet, that this is the last time, in the back of your mind there’s a voice
telling you that you can always throw up or use laxatives if you lose control again. What you may not realize is that
purging doesn’t come close to wiping the slate clean after a binge.
Purging does NOT prevent weight gain
Purging isn’t effective at getting rid of calories, which is why most
people suffering with bulimia end up gaining weight over time. Vomiting immediately after eating will only eliminate 50%
of the calories consumed at best—and usually much less. This is because calorie absorption begins the moment you
put food in the mouth. Laxatives and diuretics are even less effective. Laxatives get rid of only 10% of the calories eaten,
and diuretics do nothing at all. You may weigh less after taking them, but that lower number on the scale is due to water
loss, not true weight loss.
Binge eating signs and symptoms - Lack of control over eating: Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort
and pain.
- Secrecy surrounding eating: Going to the
kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.
- Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight.
- Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the
garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food.
- Alternating between
overeating and fasting: Rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food.
Purging signs and symptoms - Going to the bathroom after meals: Frequently disappears after meals or
takes a trip to the bathroom to throw up. May run the water to disguise sounds of vomiting.
- Using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating. May also take diet pills to curb appetite
or use the sauna to “sweat out” water weight.
- Smell
of vomit: The bathroom or the person may smell like vomit. They may try to cover up the smell with mouthwash,
perfume, air freshener, gum, or mints.
- Excessive exercising:
Works out strenuously, especially after eating. Typical activities include high-intensity calorie burners such as running
or aerobics.
Physical signs and symptoms of bulimia
- Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands
from sticking fingers down the throat to induce vomiting.
- Puffy
“chipmunk” cheeks caused by repeated vomiting.
- Discolored
teeth from exposure to stomach acid when throwing up. May look yellow, ragged, or clear.
- Not underweight: Men and women with bulimia are usually normal weight or slightly overweight.
Being underweight while purging might indicate a purging type of anorexia.
- Frequent
fluctuations in weight: Weight may fluctuate by 10 pounds or more due to alternating episodes of bingeing and
purging.
Effects of bulimia
When you are living with bulimia, you are putting your body—and
even your life—at risk. The most dangerous side effect of bulimia is dehydration due to purging. Vomiting, laxatives,
and diuretics can cause electrolyte imbalances in the body, most commonly in the form of low potassium levels. Low potassium
levels trigger a wide range of symptoms ranging from lethargy and cloudy thinking to irregular heartbeat and death. Chronically
low levels of potassium can also result in kidney failure. Other
common medical complications and adverse effects of bulimia include: - Weight gain
- Abdominal pain, bloating
- Swelling of the hands and feet
- Chronic
sore throat, hoarseness
- Broken blood vessels in the eyes
- Swollen cheeks and salivary glands
| - Weakness and dizziness
- Tooth decay and mouth sores
- Acid reflux or ulcers
- Ruptured stomach or esophagus
- Loss of
menstrual periods
- Chronic constipation from laxative abuse
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The dangers
of ipecac syrup If you use ipecac syrup, a medicine
used to induce vomiting, after a binge, take caution. Regular use of ipecac syrup can be deadly. Ipecac builds up in the
body over time. Eventually it can lead to heart damage and sudden cardiac arrest, as it did in the case of singer Karen
Carpenter.  Source:
National Women's Health Information Center
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