Parallels And Dissimilarities Involving Bulimia And Anorexia Nervosa

September 6, 2010 by: Dom Carson

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that has the characteristics of self-starvation and being involved in practices that would lead to excessive weight loss. This usually takes place due to a constant fear of being overweight, which motivates one to take unnecessary steps such as eating much less than what is required by the body. A distorted self-image is what leads to such practices.

Bulimia is another eating disorder that leads to an obsession with food causing one to overeat, followed by behaviors such as forced vomiting, purging and exercising to get rid of all the food eaten. There are a number of similarities and differences between both disorders that are mentioned below:

The first similarity between the two disorders is that it usually begins after a person has spent quite some time being concerned about one’s weight and physical features. After spending some time dieting and controlling the amount of food that they should consume, they may acquire the disorder.

In addition, people with anorexia and bulimia may spend hours looking in the mirror, and being worried about the extra weight they seem to be putting on.

Usually, these eating disorders also lead to psychological problems such as depression and stress in the sufferer. Most people start taking drugs or alcohol to get relief.

Even though both disorders seem to be quite similar, there are a few differences that are present in the two. The first difference is that people with bulimia are even more concerned about what opinions people hold about their looks, and strive more to please others. Moreover, people with bulimia do not take such extreme steps such as that with anorexia to control their calorie intake.

In addition, people with bulimia have a more difficult time controlling their impulses, and may have mood swings and behavioral problems.

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