Arab Eating Disorder Association

Bulimia nervosa is a serious mental illness which can be life-threatening due to elevated risk of suicide or due to its medical complications.  Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a cycle of binge eating episodes followed by purging episodes with the association of extreme concerns over body shape and weight. The purging episodes are compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics or over-exercising used as a mean to compensate for the effects of binge eating and to get rid of the extra calories consumed. Compensatory behaviors are very dangerous methods, completely ineffective in calorie removal and with time, promote weight gain.

• Bulimia nervosa and all eating disorders can affect anybody, at any age, from all genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities and any socioeconomical status. 
• Bulimia nervosa generally affects women more than man with a lifetime prevalence of 2% in females compared to 0.5% in males.
• Around 80% of patients suffering from bulimia nervosa are females.
• Bulimia nervosa typically begins in late childhood or early adulthood, typically between the ages of 18 to 25. 
• It’s estimated that 1 to 5 percent of adolescents have bulimia. An estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent of females in the USA are reported to have bulimia.
• People suffering with bulimia nervosa generally appear to be of normal body weight or overweight range.

Bulimia nervosa is a complex multifactorial illness. Biological, psychological and sociocultural factors contribute to the development of the illness. All eating disorders are not a choice.

• Genetics account for more than 50% of the risk of developing an eating disorder. 

• Some Personality traits appear to be common among those at a higher risk of developing bulimia nervosa such as impulsivity, low self-directedness, high harm avoidance, low self esteem, difficulty seeing the “big picture”and rigidity.

• Living in a society and culture that is obsessed with appearance, values thinness and muscularity, and promotes unrealistic beauty standards, generally leads to increased body dissatisfaction, weight concern and fat phobia. 

Being constantly bombarded and pressured with messages and images that over-evaluate the body image as a measure of success and happiness, increases the risk of dieting and engaging in unhealthy and harmful behaviours which consequently leads to an increase risk of developing anorexia nervosa.

• Frequent episodes of binge eating which are characterized by consuming very large amount of food that any person would perceive as excessive,  in a discrete period of time with the sense of being out of control over eating.
• Followed by recurrent episodes of purging which are characterized by inappropriate compensatory behaviours designed to prevent weight gain. Compensatory behaviours are  self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, diuretic misuse, diet pills misuse, fasting, or excessive exercise.
• Both binge eating episodes and purging episodes occur on average at least once a week for a period of three months.
• Sufferers from bulimia nervosa usually follow diets and or very restrictive eating habits between binge/purge cycles.
• Self-esteem is overly related to body image which leads to extreme concerns with body weight and shape. 
• Bulimia nervosa is frequently associated with co-occurring conditions like impulsivity, substance abuse, or self-injury.
• Sufferers from Bulimia nervosa usually struggle with symptoms of depression and/or social adjustments.

The earlier bulimia nervosa is detected, the greater the chances are for full recovery. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia nervosa can be extremely harmful and dangerous to the body.  

The digestive system can entirely be damaged due to recurrent binge-and-purge cycles. Purging behaviours are ineffective methods to get rid of extra calories consumed, and are extremely dangerous and life-threatening. They can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body( loss of potassium and sodium) that affect the heart and other major organ functions such as the kidneys and liver.

Some of the health consequences:

• Dizziness, fainting, and overall weakness
• Irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure due to electrolyte imbalance. 
• Tooth decay, staining and dental erosion due to stomach acids released during frequent vomiting.
• Gastrointestinal complications: chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse.
• Inflammation and possible rupture of the oesophagus from frequent vomiting.
• Gastric rupture is an uncommon but possible side effect of binge eating.
• Muscle weakness and cramps
• Feeling cold 

At ACPN, our trained multi-disciplinary team provides evidence-based treatments based on Enhanced Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E). CBT-E  is a special kind of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) developed by Prof Christopher Fairburn (Oxford University) that is specifically designed to treat the Eating Disorders  

With proper treatment, a full and lasting recovery is possible. The ACPN has the only specialized program in the U.A.E. dedicated to the treatment of eating disorders, like Bulimia Nervosa.

يسبب النُهام العصبي اضطرابات الأكل الخطيرة المهددة للحياة، حيث يتم تناول كميات كبيرة من الطعام واللجوء إلى السلوك التعويضي مثل التقيؤ المتعمَّد أو تناول الملينات أو مدرات البول أو ممارسة التمارين بشكل زائد تعويضاً عن تناول الطعام بشراهة، إن عند عدم تناول الطعام بشراهة يُسبب لمرضى النُهام العصبي شعوراً بعدم الاكتفاء من تناول الطعام.