Is bulimia really that bad?

Question

...if you only do it, say, once every week or so?
I hear about people that do it every day.

Answer 1

yeah it's pretty bad, because it's not even that effective in losing weight, and also, it makes your teeth look awful because they're coming into contact with too much vomit.

Answer 2

Basically, it ruins the lining of everything. Think about bile - it breaks down food into a pulpy mess so your body can extract nutrients from it. I mean, something that powerful is bound to be pretty strong. When you throw up, it's like swallowing acid ( in the reverse direction). It burns everything it touches on the way up, including the esophagus, the voice box, and teeth. Your body needs nourishment to stay alive - when you expel it from you, your organs are being deprived. The most important thing is to stay hydrated. While you may not experience extreme sickness in the long run, you will become pale, sallow, your face will balloon up, you won't actually get that skinny (bulimics tend to have normal weight), your hair and nails will become very brittle. For someone that concerned about physical appearance that you will throw up to try and appear beautiful, I think the whole thing is actually counteractive! I was more of an anorexic bulimic - in that I would not overreat, but when I felt like I had more than my fill (usually what most would consider a "meal"), I had to throw it up. This was not an everyday occurrence, but often enough. I got over it eventually when I changed my diet to vegan. Now I just eat whenever I want and drink wheneve I want and don't feel guilty about it.

Answer 3

sweetie trust me its the worse thing u can do to urself. yes u will have a yellow teeth, you ll feel dizzy and you might end up oversleeping sometimes close to a day.you ll have swollen cheeks and no matter how skinny you are your face is gonna give you away. its gonna be enormous. u will have facial problems. and also bulimics tend to scratch their faces. its an expression of their disgust in themselves.. u ll have problems with your roll movement. and coming to the worse part.. i am saying the worse part because people who start this habit do it because they wanna have a better image. but the problem is even deeper.u have to find the leek somehow.. statistics shows that mostly ppl dealing with family issues are more alike to get this desease. anyway the worse part is you are gonna start this to feel thin.yes what the hell once in a week? but if u take anything for once a week it eventually becomes a habit. u are gonna drop some pounds.because u are doing something different to ur body. once u stop you will gain it all back and then ull keep doing it but it will store them. store the fat. but also will be a lack of vitamins and all so you ll end up fatter than u started for the first point.. attention!most of the bulimics are normalweight and someof them are even considered overweight. and if u quit for a while every calorie you take it will store in order to repair itself.so you ll gain weight no matter what.unless u wanna go anoraxic after this painful bulimia process, your goal ,the reason why you have started it in the first place would be pointless.. just take my advice. dont do it.. dont.. and you ll start hiding from everyone become more aggressive and all.if u are not thinking about ur health at least consider ur figure and future! no one wants to be with a puke smelling girl.. i hope i am not too harsh on u. but sooner u know the facts the better

Answer 4

You could die from it.

Long term, it can erode the esophogus and cause G.E.R.D.

You could eventually get stomach cancer.

You could end up needing a Gastroenternologist to prescribe medication needed on a daily basis.

You could ruin your vocal chords.

You could gain more weight.

If you want to practice something just about as close to it, but considered safer... Slowly chew your food, and enjoy the flavor, but don't swallow. Spit it out. DO NOT Regurgitate what you swallowed - let it go. The problem with doing this, is that food will still enter your stomach. The moderation will be less because you spit it back out and didn't swallow anything. I don't recommend that, but offer it as a safer alternative to deadly bulimia.

When you eat anything (good and ESPECIALLY bad), chew it slowly and savor every bite. Don't gulp it down without chewing. Make it a long long chew.

Eat small proportions, but keep them in your mouth longer than a normal time. If you drink while eating, sip small amounts, don't wash it down like you wash away "eating guilt" . Get all the chewing you can out of the food. Taste and enjoy it. Savor it!

Yeah, people do bulimia every day. People also die every day, and get diagnosed everyday, etc.

Try an apple a day. Seriously. It takes time to chew an apple, and the chewing helps keep your urge to eat under control.

Answer 5

yes

Bulimia may become chronic. That is, it can turn into an ongoing problem that lasts for many years. In such cases, it can cause a number of health problems, including seizures, irregular heartbeat, and thin bones. On rare occasions, bulimia can be fatal. Early treatment is the key to a promising prognosis. People who learn to deal with their problems of self-image can often be cured of the condition and can go on to lead normal, productive lives.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is bulimia really that bad?
...if you only do it, say, once every week or so?
I hear about people that do it every day.

Answer 7

oohh hun... gosh.
I am bulimic, and let me tell you it IS bad. seriously
i know you may feel as if when people tell you to stop, they just want you to be "fatter" than them, but its not true, it really is very harmful.

did you know the very FIRST time you make yourself vomit you could die? vomiting creates an elecrolyte imbalence.. a shortage of sodium and potassium, which are crucial to beating your heart. you could have a heartattack the very first time. and i know you think the rate your going isn't too bad becuase there are people "worse" than you, but, thats wrong. this is a black and white scale. either you make yourself sick, or you dont. either you risk dieing, or you dont. you CAN die from doing it once a week and you can get esophugus cancer or a ruptured esophugus.

*but if you continue to do this and dont stop now.. these are some things you WILL get:
***fatigue (chronic at times)
***less ability to remember things
***loss of brain cells
***swollen cheeks
***yellow, see through teeth (the enamel is gone)
***cavities
***chronic dehyrdration
***lower immune system
***increased risk for bone fractures

please, for the sake of me and every other eating disorder patient out there, stop now before it becomes a habit you can't stop. try journaling your feelings out instead, or drawing, or taking pictures, etc. also, join www.something-fishy.org if you need support.

Answer 8

It will ruin your digestive tract because even throwing up from being sick hurts your body and your teeth. Also, what in the world is the point in throwing up once a week?
That won't cause any extra weight loss, so that wouldn't make sense to begin with.

There are lots of other ways to eat healthy and exercise and look good, your body was not designed to puke daily, or even weekly.

Answer 9

Bulimia can cause following health problems:

Malnutrition
Dehydration
Electrolyte imbalance, which can cause cardiac arrest or brain damage by stroke
Hyponatremia
Damaging of the voice
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Teeth erosion and cavities, gum disease
Salivary gland swelling (sialadenosis)
Potential for gastric rupture during periods of binging
Esophageal reflux
Irritation, inflammation, and possible rupture of the esophagus
Laxative dependence
Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis
Emetic toxicity due to ipecac abuse
Swelling of the face and cheeks, especially the lower eyelids, due to the high pressure of blood in the face during vomiting; for the same reason Purpura can occur, a rash caused by burst blood vessels.
Callused or bruised fingers
Dry or brittle skin, hair, and nails, or hair loss
Lanugo
Edema
Muscle atrophy
Decreased or increased bowel activity
Digestive problems that may be triggered, including celiac, Crohn's Disease
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Orthostatic hypotension
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Iron deficiency
Anemia
Hormonal imbalances
Hyperactivity
Depression
Insomnia
Amenorrhea
Infertility
High risk pregnancy, miscarriage, still-born babies
Diabetes
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
Ketoacidosis
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Weakness and fatigue
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Cancer of the throat or voice box
Liver failure
Kidney infection and failure
Heart failure, heart arrhythmia, angina
Seizure
Paralysis
Death caused by heart attack or heart failure; lung collapse; internal bleeding, stroke, kidney failure, liver failure; pancreatitis, gastric rupture, perforated ulcer, depression and suicide.

Answer 10

It won't help you lose weight.
You'll still absorb most of the calories.

You're teeth will also fall out and your entire digestive system will be all messed up.
Your cheeks will also become swollen like a chipmunk.

Try to make it more like once or twice a month and then decrease from there.

Answer 11

Very bad because of the throwing up process. If you throw up a lot. All your stomach acid will be gone and your digestive system takes awhile to recover. Which you will never recover because you throw up over and over again.

The acid also burns your esophagus and do permanent damage to it.

Recovering from this is even harder than recovering from Anorexia in my opinion.