What is the difference between anorexia nervosa and bulimia?

Answer 1

differences between them are descibed as above, both are eating disorders.

Here are some signs that generally give people clues of which when a person is having one of these condition :

Anorexia
drops weight to about 20% below normal
denies feeling hungry
exercises excessively
feels fat
withdraws from social activities

Bulimia
makes excuses to go to the bathroom immediately after meals
eats huge amounts of food, but doesn't gain weight
uses laxatives or diuretics
withdraws from social activities

For obvious reasons care must be taken before accusing someone having these conditions, as some other health condition might cause rapid weight loss.


I also want to add that these two condition are a very common problem in young women. With anorexia, it is usually caused by external social pressures to be thin, be they magazines or their teenage partners. People who have these conditions need help, and needs to see a doctor as anorexia and bulimia can cause serious ill health.

Answer 2

While the first answers by others are correct bulimia can also be exercising so much that you burn too many calories off or taking diuretics. It's just binging and then purging in some way. I should know I've been diagnosed with both. With anorexia you don't have to starve yourself just severly limit your intake of food. Bulimia I think is worse but easier to do.

Answer 3

Both are classified eating disorders, characterised by extreme exercising, calorie counting, fixation with a warped body image, and low self-efficacy.
Anorexia nervosa is about starving oneself, and sufferers go as far as not drinking water in a bid not to put on any weight at all.
Bulimia, on the other hand, is more about binge eating, and then purging afterwards using vomiting, abuse of laxatives and diuretics.
Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Anorexia involves starving yourself until your body starts to literally consume itself, including your organs. Bulimia is where you make yourself throw up or take laxitives to get rid of all the food you eat. Both of them are bad and anyone that has them needs to seek profesional help. Doctors and psychologists are needed to treat people with any eating disorder.

Answer 5

anorexia nervosa is when a person doesnt eat much of anything...they limit all intake to merely nothing, basically starving....bulimia is binging and purging...a person eats an extreme amount of food, and then goes and throws it up.

Answer 6

Anorexia is when you starve yourself by not eating. Bulimia is when you usually eat a large amount of food, then make yourself throw up everything you just ate.

Answer 7

anorexia is basically starving yourself; bulimia is stuffing yourself with food and then throwing it up later.

Answer 8

anorexia is when you don't eat you starve your self
Bulimia is when you eat but you go in the toilet and threw up what you have just eaten