Nervosa Bulimia, Pica Syndrome, Eating Disorders
"Can i fight my Eating Disorders?"
Nervosa bulimia is an eating disorder stemming from a lack of self-confidence and self esteem. It’s also a very dangerous illness that can destroy a person’s health for life, damaging the heart as well as the stomach.
A person suffering from nervosa bulimia feels compelled to eat large quantities of food and then rid themselves of it by vomiting, or purging. They feel very guilty about losing control of themselves and usually go back to the very restrictive diets they’ve imposed on themselves. Bulimics are rarely overweight but the fear of being overweight makes them think that they are. Their self esteem is often so low that they see their bodies as ugly and only weight loss will make them attractive. Nervosa bulimia distorts their perception to the point of thinking they are fat when they are, in fact, grossly underweight.
There are many theories about the cause of nervosa bulimia but recently researchers have discovered that bulimics have a larger than usual amount of serotonin in their system. Serotonin is a chemical that aids in the digestion of food and may be part of the cause of compulsive over eating and purging. It’s also been found that a person suffering from nervosa bulimia is usually related to another bulimic, leading researchers to think that it may be partially genetic. If so, there may be a cure which could be as simple as the manipulation of a few genes.
Pica syndrome eating disorders, on the other hand, are not about over eating, but eating unusual and largely non-nutritious things. People afflicted with pica syndrome eating disorders feel compelled to eat such substances as chalk, paper, soap and even human waste. Some eat food ingredients like raw potatoes, flour or corn meal.
Pica has been observed in people of all ages and can be quite dangerous in children. Eating dirt or paint and plaster can lead to parasite infestations and lead poisoning, and other things they may eat pose a danger of tearing the stomach or blocking the intestines. The small amount of research done on this eating disorder indicates that a biochemical deficiency may be responsible.
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