Bulimia, like other eating disorders is more the physical manifestation of a mental condition, than a physical condition itself.

A person suffering from bulimia does not indulge in an eating binge because she is hungry, it is just a way of coping with anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and such other related issues. The patient tends to think of herself as fat or having a strong tendency to put on weight quickly, no matter how much she diets or exercises. It is also another way of exercising control.

Most of the depression and anxiety is related to putting on weight, staying thin, and the anxiety that comes from the fear of being called ‘fat’.

Secret binges

Most patients with bulimia do the binging in secrecy. They are not open about gulping down great quantities of food. The secrecy is because they feel ashamed about an overt display of eating food, as their focus is on staying thin.

The stress and anxiety causes the patient to binge, which helps calm them down. However, there is an intense feeling of disgust about eating so much, and the immediate response to this feeling of disgust is to make sure that none of the food eaten remains inside the body; hence the vomiting or use of laxatives or diuretics.

Causes of Bulimia

There is no single cause identified with bulimia. Primarily, bulimia is caused by a compulsive need to stay healthy, where healthy translates to ‘thin’.

It is also not about just overeating because someone enjoys food. It is more a control problem, a means of the mind retaining control over the body. Different factors can induce bulimia in a person.

Biological factors

There is enough medical and scientific evidence now to suggest that bulimia can be caused due to certain hormonal and chemical imbalances in the brain. The chemical imbalance is seen mostly in the case of a neurotransmitter found in the brain, called serotonin. This has been dealt with in the article on anorexia.

Besides neurotransmitter imbalance, hormonal imbalance has also been found to be another cause for bulimia. This happens when the nervous system taking care of hormone secretion and regulation goes haywire.

There is also some recent evidence linking bulimia to possible genetic causes. Research is ongoing in this field, and is still at an early stage.

Family/Personal factors

Bulimia is seen predominantly in people with low self esteem. This can be due to any number of factors – fear of rejection among peers (nowadays the need to look good has assumed monstrous proportions among the youth and teenagers of the country), constant disapproval by family members when it comes to physical appearance (this is seen predominantly in families that lay too much stress on physical fitness and ends up giving the child a feeling of low self worth), or personal stress (this can be anything from stress at work to a failing relationship to sexual or physical abuse).

Cultural Factors

Some regions of America have a culture of thinness, where ‘slim’ is the done thing. Therefore, the incidence of bulimia and other eating disorders in these regions is obviously high.

Symptoms of Bulimia >>