Why Bulimia is Not Healthy
Bulimia is one of the most common eating disorders in the United States. It involves binging and purging, which means that a person eats a lot of food, and then forces their body to vomit it out before absorbing it into their system. As you would expect, this can create a number of health problems. If you are asking yourself the question, “Am I bulimic?” and you want to know the long term effects of bulimia, here are some things that you should know.
Questions to Ask Yourself
In order to determine the answer to the question, “Am I bulimic?” there are several questions to ask yourself. For one thing, are you obsessed with your body? Are you always trying to diet so you can lose weight? Does it seem like losing weight is the only thing that you think about?
Do you like to eat until you feel like you are going to vomit? Or do you feel ashamed or guilty after you eat a meal? Have you ever taken laxatives to control your body weight?
These are just a few questions that you should ask yourself if you think you might be bulimic. The more questions that you answered “yes” to will help you determine how close to being bulimic you actually are. If several of these questions sound like you, you should seek professional help right away.
Long Term Effects of Bulimia
The effects of bulimia can be very dangerous. In some cases, it can even be fatal if left unchecked for an extended period of time. But short of dying, there are several other long term affects of bulimia. One of the more noticeable effects is decaying of the teeth. Since bulimia involves excessive vomiting, the acid from the vomit can erode the teeth over a period of time.
Bulimia can also affect the various systems of the body. After awhile, it can cause dangerously low blood pressure, low pulse, a weakened heart and even heart failure. In addition to that, the long term effects of bulimia can also include dehydration which can lead to constipation, diarrhea and more. Ulcers and other stomach problems are also caused by long term bulimia.
Mentally, bulimia can cause a person to be depressed and anxious. It can also make a person feel guilty and ashamed of their actions.
Eating disorders are very serious and they are not something to be taken lightly. If you or someone you know have signs of bulimia or some other eating disorder, seek professional help as soon as possible to minimize the long term side effects.
