Bulimia nervosa is essentially:
- an obsession with food and weight resulting in out of control eating patterns such as eating binges which involve the consumption of large amounts of food—these binges usually occur secretly and the person may feel a sense of loss of control or shame.
- attempts to compensate for binges and avoid weight gain by one or more of the following unhealthy measures: self induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fluid or diet pills, excessive exercise, periods of strict dieting.
Bulimic behaviours can continue for many years.
Symptoms and characteristics
Possible symptoms or characteristics of bulimia include:
- increased mood changes and irritability
- social withdrawal and isolation
- anxiety and/or depression related symptoms
- obsessive rituals such as eating certain foods on certain days
- excessive or fluctuating exercise patterns
- avoidance of social situations involving food
- fast eating
- hoarding food
- trips to the toilet after meals.
For more information on some of these symptoms and characteristics, follow these links:
Statistics
The incidence of bulimia nervosa in the general Australian population is reported at 5 per cent. Bulimia nervosa is, however, secretive by nature and as a result it is estimated that only one in ten cases of bulimia are detected (The Butterfly Foundation 2007).
Workplace adjustments and solutions
There are also solutions and adjustments for the following job requirements:
The Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace e-learning course can help you understand and work with a person who has an eating disorder. You can order your free copy by calling the JobAccess Advisers on 1800 464 800.
References
Better Heath Channel 2007, Eating disorders, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 24 February 2007, <http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Eatingdisorders?open>.
Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria 2006, , Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria, Glen Iris, viewed 24 February 2007, <http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/component/option,com_weblinks/catid,77/Itemid,96/>.
The Butterfly Foundation 2007, The Need The Alarming Statistics and Trends, The Butterfly Foundation, Melbourne, viewed 24 February 2007, <http://www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/what_we_do/the_need>.