My disease is Bulimia. I choose this topic because I was very curious about it. This disease effects the digestive system, which effects the rest of the body systems.

Bulimia is a disease that is a serious eating disorder characterized by alternating binge eating and purging. The Bulimic first eats the food and then gets rid of it by either vomiting or the use of laxatives and diuretics. The disease can vary from some people just eating an ice cream cone and vomiting to those who eat and vomit after every meal.

The overall desire to be thin and accepted appears to be the main cause of Bulimia. The attitudes about diet and appearance expressed by parents can be a factor. Teens may temporarily become slightly overweight and parents who react negatively may cause their children to become fearful or anxious about the way they look. It has been discovered that female teens have a strong desire to please their father and when he is rigid, emotionally distant, demanding and a perfectionist, this my cause a very low self-esteem or self-worth in his teenage daughter. The daughter may discover she has control of only one thing and that is her body and by controlling her weight, no matter how drastic the measure, and being thin means that she is not a failure. Bulimics learn from their families to “look” like they don’t have any problems and in our society, being thin is “looking perfect,” inside and out.

When teens have a low self-esteem and/or self-worth they cannot handle problems with friends and peers. They may not want to, or know how to, talk to their parents or friends about problems or pressures and again, the feeling of being in control of something, like their “thin body” is enough and they will go to any length to get it.

Over time, the body is physically effected by Bulimia. Some of the physical effects are; the onset of diabetes, malnutrition, erosion of tooth enamel causing cavities, gum disease, swelling of the cheeks, digestive problems, intestinal problems, rectal bleeding, rupture of the tube that leads to the stomach called the esophagus, hernias, bleeding and infection of the throat, enlargement of lymph or salivary gland, and potassium depletions causing heart, liver or kidney dysfunction.

The Bulimic is often hard to detect because they are experts at hiding their problems and pressures. The most common symptoms of bulimia are: over-exercising, hoarding food, constant irritability or depression, numerous trips to the bathroom, over-eating when depressed, anxious, or lonely, eating all they want but never seeming to gain weight, shoplifting of laxatives at first and then other items, stealing food from friends or stores, and lying about food and where and when they are eating.

The best treatment and prevention is by talking to your friends or family about your problems. Once someone has been diagnosed with bulimia, they need family counseling, individual counseling, and/or support groups. Hospitalization may be necessary to monitor the seriousness of the disease and the physical condition of the body.

I learned that people need to talk about their problems to their family or friends, not to keep problems and ideas to themselves. If things are bothering you or if you are feeling too much pressure about your grades, your friends, your boyfriends, your family, etc., talk to someone you can trust about it. I also learned how lucky I am that I can talk to my family and my good friends about my ideas, problems, and feelings.

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