Bulimia in Relation to Anorexia
There are two main eating disorders: Bulimia and Anorexia. If you are not familiar with these disorders, then you are not aware of the difference between Bulimia and Anorexia. The difference is the characteristics of one’s personality and behaviors towards eating.
Bulimia vs. Anorexia
A person with the medical illness Bulimia will usually eat a large quantity of food at one time then purge the eaten food. This person, usually a younger female and may appear “normal” to anyone else. A Bulimic will eat foods that have a very high calorie count and have been known for this count to be up to 20,000 at one time. In addition, this binging is usually done in private, somewhere where they can quickly eat a massive amount of sweet and comforting foods where no one will see them. A Bulimic will purge food just after binging to get rid of unwanted calories. Of course, if a Bulimic was asked if they are Bulimic, they will deny the accusation.
One who is Anorexic won’t eat in public settings and the amount of the food that they do eat is very small. The Anorexic will eat a small amount of food and believe that they ate too much and will gain a great deal of weight so they purge. The amount eaten will become less and less almost to the point of starvation just in order to not gain weight. No matter what the Anorexic weighs, they are extremely self-conscious of how they look. Most anorexic’s also purge food because they believe that they are overweight and purging the food is the best way, they feel, to lose that weight. An Anorexic will be quite and very slim but they will feel that they are obese and need to lose even more. An Anorexic will deny that they have an eating disorder
On average, an Anorexic weighs about 15% less than they should. A Bulimic usually has normal weight or is up to 10% overweight. This makes Bulimia more difficult to notice. Anorexia is easier to be noticed by surrounding friends and family because one that suffers from Anorexia is very tiny and eats very little.
Studies show that Bulimics and Anorexics in general have different personalities. An Anorexic is more isolated socially, restricted and inhibited. A Bulimic is usually more impulsive, expressive and sociable person.
Bulimia and Anorexia normally are diagnosed in the younger girls. The Bulimic feels depressed and ashamed after binging and purging. The person feels worthless and may be dealing with a great deal of stress or substance abuse and the binging comforts them but then they must purge to feel better. Of course, after purging, they depression and guilt come back to haunt them and it is a vicious cycle.
Anorexia can occur in any society and is usually found where being thin is necessary or a requirement such as in physical activities such as dancing or modelling. The Anorexic’s want a sense of control over their body and purging is mentally their way of gaining that control; the more they purge the more weight they will lose.
Both Bulimia and Anorexia are very serious medical and psychological concerns that should be dealt with in a positive manner as soon as discovered. These diseases can be treated. The sufferers are wonderful people who need a great deal of love and care to be able to heal them self in order to have a much higher quality of life.
Some people developed both of these eating disorders: Bulimia and Anorexia. If a friend or family member believes that one has an eating disorder, the process to have this diagnosis confirmed must be done in a careful way. Depending on a particular case, the difference between Anorexia and Bulimia an be very easy and very difficult to determine. The diagnosis, is it Bulimia or Anorexia, can be a very fine line.
