Weight Management in Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating syndrome characterized by binge eating ensued by purging. Binge eating implies eating a huge amount of food in a small amount of time. Purging indicates to the tries to get rid of the food eaten. It may be followed by vomiting or taking purgatives. It is also renowned as Bulimia.
Bulimia causes and risk factors
Numerous factors contribute to the growth of this eating disorder. It involves genetic, environmental, psychological, and cultural impacts. The major reasons involve:
- Traumatic alterations or life changes
- History of maltreatment or trauma
- Undesirable body image
- Impoverished self-esteem
- Occupations or activities that concentrate on look
Bulimia Nervosa patients show numerous signs and symptoms which are the obvious consequence of self-induced vomiting or other forms of purging.
Physical signs and symptoms of bulimia are:
- Continuous weight fluctuations
- Electrolyte disparities that cause cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, or eventually death
- Shattered blood vessels inside eyes
- Bloated glands in the neck and under the jawline
- Oral trauma
- Persistent dehydration
- Swelling of the esophagus
- Prolonged gastrointestinal reflux or peptic ulcers
- Infertility
Signs and symptoms of binge eating and purging are given below:
- Loss of large amounts of food
- Eating in secrecy
- Lack of control when eating
- Shifting between periods of overeating and fasting
- Repeated use of the bathroom after meals
- Experiencing the stench of vomit
Key goals in nutritional therapy for bulimia nervosa
- Balance of weight through diminishing the phases of binging and reparation.
- An advancement of impartiality toward food through re-creating intuitive understandings of starvation, fullness, and satiation.
- Re-creation of blood-sugar levels through portion re-supply • Regulation and maintenance of potassium levels
Bulimia Treatment
There are different treatments available in alleviating the symptoms of bulimia. These are governed according to the seriousness of the illness or disorder. Psychological treatment can include:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
It investigates the interactions between patterns of thinking and behavior. This form of therapy intends to examine emotions in detail to formulate new methods of facing tricky situations without resorting to food.
Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
This type of therapy is used in confronting complications that are related to personal relations with the concept of decreasing the need to ease eat. Patients are more likely to be suggested to this form of treatment if they have recently endured the loss of loved ones or experienced a big change in their lives.
Lifestyle and at-home treatments
Follow these self-treatment guidelines:
- Stick to your care plan.
- Do not miss out on therapy sessions and attempt not to stray from meal plans.
- Stay in-tuned with your dear ones.
- Be kind to yourself.
- Be careful with exercise
- Understand Bulimia
- Knowledge about your condition can encourage you and inspire you to switch to your treatment plan.
- Get proper nutrition
Your body is not receiving the necessary nutrients if you are not eating healthy or frequently purging. Consult dietitian about proper vitamin and mineral supplements. However, getting most of your vitamins and minerals from food is typically advised.
Diet therapy for weight management in Bulimia Nervosa patient
To enjoy a healthy life, take a low-calorie diet that can soothe your fits of hunger without making you gain weight. Specified nutrients rich diet is needed to be able to expel hunger pangs and avoid the desire to binge.
The key to consuming a healthy diet does not mean that you are depriving of specific food groups (such as fats or carbohydrates). Follow these nutritional guidelines to stay healthily after some signs of bulimia:
- One-third of your diet must contain starchy carbohydrates. Carbohydrate is the body’s main source of energy. Select vague carbohydrates like whole grain that is rich in fiber and help in protecting diabetes, heart disease, and a pair of cancers.
- One-third of your diet should contain fruit and vegetables. Eat five portions of fruits and vegetables daily. These can be merged into main meals or snacks. Eating healthy snacks throughout the day helps in reducing hunger pangs and decrease the danger of a binge.
- The remaining one-third of your diet should contain dairy and proteins. This may include milk, cream, cheese, meat, fish, nuts, beans, and eggs.
- Avoid saturated fats from processed foods- these are high in cholesterol and increase the danger of fatty build-up within the arteries leading to disorder.
Conclusions
Bulimia Nervosa patients represent improper food intake and dysfunctional eating behaviors. Appropriate treatment of this disorder needs a multidisciplinary unit and specialized nutrition therapy. It is vital to comprehend the physical characteristics of this syndrome, the intake patterns, and the eating behavior, and be conscientious to the eating mindsets of these patients to plan and supervise a nutritional methodology appropriately.
References
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275326/
2.https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/weight-gain-in-bulimia-recovery/
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4038540/

- reduces accumulation of fat tissue
- supports the maintenance of proper blood sugar levels
- supports the regulation of blood pressure
- lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood
- supports the work and regeneration of the liver