WISCONSIN UNITED
for MENTAL HEALTH

An estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent of females have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.  Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:

• Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
• Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging); fasting; or excessive exercise
• The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months
• Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight

Because purging or other compensatory behavior follows the binge-eating episodes, people with bulimia usually weigh within the normal range for their age and height. However, like individuals with anorexia, they may fear gaining weight, desire to lose weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. People with bulimia often perform the behaviors in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved once they purge.

The primary goal of treatment for bulimia is to reduce or eliminate binge eating and purging behavior. To this end, nutritional rehabilitation (where a pattern of regular, non-binge meals, improvement of attitudes related to the eating disorder, and the encouragement of healthy but not excessive exercise occur), psychosocial intervention to resolve co-occurring mood or anxiety disorders, such as cognitive-behavioral and/or interpersonal individual, group and family/marital psychotherapy, and medication management strategies (usually with antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often employed.