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Anorexia and bulimia are eating, psychological and image disorders in which people have a complicated relationship with food, which can bring several complications to the person's health if not identified and treated.
While in anorexia the person does not eat for fear of gaining weight, although most of the time the person is under the ideal weight for their age and height, in bulimia the person eats everything they want, but then causes vomiting through guilt or remorse you feel, for fear of gaining weight.
Despite being similar in some aspects, anorexia and bulimia are different disorders, and must be properly differentiated so that the treatment is the most appropriate.
1. Anorexia
Anorexia is an eating, psychological and image disorder in which the person sees himself as fat, despite being underweight or at the ideal weight and, because of that, the person starts to have very restrictive behaviors in relation to food, such as for example:
- Refusing to eat or expressing a constant fear of gaining weight;
- Eat very little and always have little or no appetite;
- Always be on a diet or count all calories from food;
- Regularly practice physical activity with the sole intention of losing weight.
Those who suffer from this disease have a tendency to try to hide the problem, and so they will try to hide that they do not eat, sometimes pretending to eat food or avoiding family lunches or dinners with friends, for example.
In addition, in a more advanced stage of the disease, there may also be an impact on the person's body and metabolism, resulting, in most cases, in malnutrition, which leads to the appearance of other signs and symptoms such as absence of menstruation, constipation, abdominal pain, difficulty tolerating the cold, lack of energy or tiredness, swelling and cardiac changes.
It is important that the signs and symptoms of anorexia are identified so that treatment can be started right away, preventing complications. Understand how anorexia is treated.
2. Bulimia
Bulimia is also an eating disorder, however in that case the person almost always has normal weight for age and height or is slightly overweight and wants to lose weight.
Normally the person with bulimia eats what he wants, however afterwards he ends up feeling guilty and, for this reason, he practices intense physical activities, vomits right after meals or uses laxatives to prevent weight gain. The main characteristics of bulimia are:
- Desire to lose weight, even when you don't need to;
- Exaggerated desire to eat some foods;
- Exaggerated practice of physical exercise with the intention of losing weight;
- Excessive food intake;
- Constant need to always go to the bathroom after eating;
- Regular use of laxative and diuretic remedies;
- Weight loss despite appearing to eat a lot;
- Feelings of anguish, guilt, regret, fear and shame after overeating.
Whoever has this disease always has a tendency to try to hide the problem and that is why he often eats everything he remembers hiding, often failing to control himself.
In addition, due to the frequent use of laxatives and stimulation of vomiting, there may also be some other signs and symptoms, such as changes in the teeth, a feeling of weakness or dizziness, frequent inflammation in the throat, abdominal pain and swelling of the cheeks, since the salivary glands can become swollen or stunted. See more about bulimia.
How to differentiate anorexia and bulimia
In order to distinguish between these two diseases, it is necessary to focus on their main differences, because although they may seem quite different they can be easily confused. Thus, the main differences between these diseases include:
Anorexia nervosa | Nervous bulimia |
Stop eating and refuse to eat | Continues to eat, most of the time compulsively and in exaggeration |
Severe weight loss | Weight loss just slightly above normal or normal |
Great distortion of your own body image, seeing something that is not in accordance with reality | It makes less distortion of your body image, seeing it very similar to reality |
It starts very often in adolescence | It often starts in adulthood, around 20 years old |
Constant denial of hunger | There is hunger and it is referred to |
It usually affects more introverted people | It usually affects more outgoing people |
You don't see that you have a problem and think your weight and behavior are normal | Their behavior causes shame, fear and guilt |
Absence of sexual activity | There is sexual activity, although it can be reduced |
Absence of menstruation | Irregular menstruation |
Personality often obsessive, depressive and anxious | Often presents excessive and exaggerated emotions, mood swings, fear of abandonment and impulsive behaviors |
Both anorexia and bulimia, as they are eating and psychological disorders, require specialized medical monitoring, requiring therapy sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist and regular consultations with the nutritionist to verify nutritional deficiencies and a relationship can be established. healthier with food.
Check out the following video for some tips to help you overcome these disorders: