Bulimia is considered to be an eating disorder where a person binges on food and later purges it by vomiting or by using laxatives. The main intention behind bulimia is to prevent weight gain.

Fact 1. More women than men are known to suffer from bulimia especially adolescent girls and young women.  The affected person will be aware of her eating disorder which will be accompanied by guilt over the binge-and-purge habit.

Fact 2.   Bulimia could potentially be dangerous as it could lead to medical complications over time. The repetitive vomiting  could create a constant flow of stomach acid leading to a damaged esophagus. The complications resulting from bulimia include: constipation, dehydration, dental cavities, electrolyte imbalance, hemorrhoids, pancreatitis, swelling of the throat, and a damaged esophagus.

Fact 3.  Statistics show that among Western women between the age of 15 and 24 years old, an estimated 1 out of 50 is bulimic.
Fact 4.  Amongst American college women, between 10 to 50 percent of women have experienced bulimic disorders in order to control their weight.

Fact 5.  An estimated 40 percent of American girls aged 9 and 10 have been on a diet to lose weight. Around 60 percent of teenage American girls believe they are overweight when, in reality, only 15 to 20 percent are actually overweight. The preponderance to indulge in bulimic disorders is high amongst these groups.

Fact 6.  The exact cause of bulimia has not been defined, but plausible factors are genetic, psychological, trauma, family, society, and cultural factors.

Fact 7.  Eating disorders, including bulimia, are estimated to afflict 1 in 50 young Japanese women. This figure is almost the same as in the United States.

Fact 8.  A common observation is that people experiencing eating disorders have similar personalities and behavioral traits including low self-esteem, dependency, and lack of control of one’s life.

Fact 9. Bulimia is also associated with anorexia nervosa as it has been found that those suffering from bulimia are also suffering from anorexia nervosa.

Fact 10. Studies report a causal relationship amongst vegetarianism and bulimia. Vegetarianism in adolescence  could be a risk factor for eating disorders in males and females. Vegetarian teens have been found to be prone to diet frequently, four times as likely to intensively diet, and eight times as likely to use laxatives compared to their non-vegetarian peers.