Best Friend's Bulimia

[Nikky]

My friend Jennifer is 22, and a perfectionist in everything she does, and this extends to her weight. She is only 155cm and weighs about 55kg, and looks great. The problem is, she can't eat any "bad" food without feeling the need to throw it up immediately afterwards. At first I decided to ignore it as most girls I know have gone through a short stage of bulimia, and grow out of it. However, she has now been throwing up almost everyday for the past 4 months and I am worried about her. She has also started binge eating late at night because she thinks that throwing up food gives her "an excuse" to eat whatever she wants.

 

I would like to talk to her about this without appearing judgemental or critical. How effective is bulimia for losing/maintaining weight? Perhaps if I was armed with information on how ineffective if it she will be encouraged to stick to a more healthy eating plan.

 

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[turtle]

Just a quick note for other readers, 155cm is about 5'1'' and 55kg is about 120.

 

Eating disorders are tough to deal with. I was anorexic in highschool and nobody approached me about it until I was deathly thin. It was a counselor at my high school that said something to me. My friends and family looked the other way and didn't know an appropriate way to deal with it. So I think it's great that you want to help your friend.

 

As far as getting her help, the first step is for her to realize that she has a problem. She also needs to determine the root of her problem and deal with that for her to fully recover.

 

I wish I could give better advice, but the only thing that helped me was when I realized I had a problem. The shock of somebody telling me the horrible things that go along with the disease snapped me back to reality and I got healthy again. I would suggest telling her bluntly a few of the side effects. If she is a perfectionist, then tell her that bulimia ruins your teeth from all the vomitting. Also, malnutrition and eating too few calories puts the body into a state of stress. This can cause hair to fall out in clumps (telogen effluvium) and can also stop her from having her periods. If she cares about her looks or cares about having children someday, these side effects might encourage her to get help. Once she has decided that she has a problem and wants help, she needs to see a nutritionist.

[turtle]

BTW, to answer your question, bulimia IS NOT a good way for losing/maintaining weight. Luckily it sounds like this hasn't been going on too long or she hasn't taken it too far....but there is potential for her getting really sick if she keeps it up.

[Ryan]

This is not normal nor is it healthy. No amount of bulimia is tolerable. She needs to seek counseling, for this is not simply a problem of managing her dietary needs. She has a serious problem.

[Waikiki]

Yes bulimia is bad for your long-term health bla bla bla... If your friend is where i was a year ago she won't care about this.

 

One thing that might snap her back in to reality is informing her that bulimia can potentially cause her to GAIN weight. Like any one who has suffered bulimia will tell you, it is almost impossible to get rid of an entire meal, especially if you have been binging on a high quantity of food. Although you might satisfy yourself that you've rid yourself of those calories you just consumed, much of it is still lurking in your system. It is unlikely that as a bulimic she will swing towards anorexia once she stops this habit - as in my case, bulimics rarely have such self discipline or determination.

 

This might seem like warped reasoning to some, but I was a bulimic for 3 years before I realised that sticking to a healthy eating plan was much more effective in the fight to lose weight. I GAINED weight in my period of binging and purging and that was the only thing that stopped me from continuing the cycle. Of course there will always be other issues there but your friend needs to speak to a professional before delving into the root causes of her eating disorder. The most that you can do is be supportive and get her to see that bulimia isn't the answer.

[turtle]

Bulimia can make you gain weight? I guess I really don't know much about it then. I always imagined bulimics to throw up every meal and become rail thin. I guess it's mostly anorexics that get so sick.

[Paul]

Here's a link that discusses some basic information about Anorexia and Bulimia put together by the Royal College of Psychiatrists:

 

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/help/anor/

[Paul]

Hi turtle,

 

Originally posted by turtle

Bulimia can make you gain weight? I guess I really don't know much about it then. I always imagined bulimics to throw up every meal and become rail thin. I guess it's mostly anorexics that get so sick.

 

Yes. Bulimia is characterized by "binge" eating where a person consumes large portions of food followed by a compensatory phase. There are two types: The "purging" type in which the individual forcefully attempts to physically "purge" what they've recently consumed (forced vomiting, the use of laxatives, diuretics, etc.) and the "non-purging" type in which the individual engages in some sort of physical behavior intended to counter the effects of the binge eating (fasting, excessive exercise, etc.).

 

Since the behaviors counter each other, it's often difficult to detect and will frequently result in weight gain.

 

Best wishes,

Paul

[jalexy]

i had many eating disorders in the past 7 years of my life, and i am now clear of them for a full year. you know, telling her, teaching her, will do NOTHING. leave it be, i would just go and buy her "overcoming overeating"

seriously, i didnt care what anyone said to me. they even said "you will die" what did i say "who cares".....when you have an eating disorder, the only one who can save you is yourself, so just be there for her, i wouldnt agree to hear her talk it out though. just buy that book.....and also "when women stop hating their bodies"

cured me....