Causes Of Bulimia

Medical doctors and doctors that work in the field of psychology and psychiatry have determined that there is not an official or a distinctive cause of bulimia. This eating disorder is extremely complex, and while medical professionals and researchers are still working to understand the complete dynamics of the condition, many theories on contributing factors concerning the development of the condition have been established.

Much like anorexia, an eating disorder that is marked by symptoms such as self-starvation and obsessions with exercise and restrictive calorie intake, the individual that suffers from bulimia often has a distorted body image. In this guide, you will learn about the factors that may play a role in the development of this disorder.

Self-Dissatisfaction

One of the first and likely the most prominent of all theories pertaining to the causes of bulimia is the fact that the sufferer experiences a form of self-dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction typically relates to the sufferer's perception of their appearance. The individual may be overweight, at a healthy weight, or even underweight, but for some reason, they are unhappy with their appearance.

Most of the time, the bulimic individual will look at themselves in a mirror and will see themselves as extremely overweight - even if they are not. This is a distorted image complication that is often observed in both anorexia and bulimia. Eventually, this will lead the sufferer to the point where dieting is initiated. The dieting will often be restrictive but in many cases, binging on a massive amount of food in a short amount of time is common.

Neurological and Psychological Effects

There are many neurological and psychological effects associated with the onset of bulimia. One of the main effects is depression. It has been discovered that individuals that suffer from this psychological issue are more prone to develop an eating disorder. Typically, overeating is the most common disorder.

However, since binging is a common issue in those that are depressed, it is quite common for those that are obsessed with their weight to develop bulimia. Individuals that suffer from anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are also quite prone to developing an eating disorder such as bulimia. Naturally, those with other mental illnesses may also become bulimic.

When focusing on the neurological aspect of the illness, doctors and researchers have discovered that there are typically abnormalities related to the neurotransmitters in the region of the brain. One of the most specific neurotransmitters that issues have been found in is the one that is that is identified as "Serotonin".

In addition to this, it has been established that many individuals suffer from complications associated with the rate associated with the metabolism in the body. In further clinical evaluations, neurologists have discovered that there are typically issues with the level of neuroendocrine within the body.

As stated initially, there are many theories surrounding the causes of bulimia, but there is no one specific cause associated with this particular eating disorder. It seems to be a collaboration of many different factors.