Binge eating is different from going to a party and "pigging out" on pizza, then
deciding to go to the gym the next day and eat more healthfully.People with bulimia
eat a large amount of food (often junk food) at once, usually in secret. Sometimes
they eat food that is not cooked or might be still frozen, or retrieve food from the
trash. They typically feel powerless to stop the eating and can only stop once they're
too full to eat any more. Most people with bulimia then purge by vomiting, but may
also use laxatives or excessive exercise.Although anorexia and bulimia are very
similar, people with anorexia are usually very thin and underweight but those with
bulimia may be a normal weight or can be overweight.
Binge Eating Disorder
This eating disorder is similar to anorexia and bulimia because a person binges
regularly on food (more than three times a week). But, unlike the other eating
disorders, a person with binge eating disorder does not try to "compensate" by
purging the food.
Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder all involve unhealthy eating patterns
that begin gradually and build to the point where a person feels unable to control
them.
Signs of Anorexia and Bulimia
Sometimes a person with anorexia or bulimia starts out just trying to lose some
weight or hoping to get in shape. But the urge to eat less or to purge or over-exercise
gets "addictive" and becomes too hard to stop.Teens with anorexia or bulimia often
feel intense fear of being fat or think that they're fat when they are not. Those with anorexia
may weigh food before eating it or compulsively count the calories of everything.