Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging, or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time followed by an attempt to rid him or herself of the food consumed, typically by vomiting, taking a laxative, diuretic, or stimulant, and/or excessive exercise, because of an extensive concern for body weight.[1] The term
bulimia comes from Greek βουλιμία
boulīmia, "ravenous hunger", a compound of βοῦς
bous, "ox" and λιμός,
līmos, "hunger";[2] literally, bulimia nervosa means disease of hunger affecting the nervous system.[3] Bulimia nervosa was named and first described by the British psychiatrist Gerald Russell in 1979.[4][5] Some individuals may tend to alternate between bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Bulimia is also commonly accompanied with fasting over an extended period of time.[6][7] These dangerous, habit-forming practices occur while the sufferer is trying to keep their weight under a self-imposed threshold. It can lead to potassium loss and health deterioration, with depressive symptoms that are often severe and lead to a high risk of suicide.