[patricia72]

I am embarrassed, I have never discussed this and this is not my group but.... I have abused laxatives for yrs to stay thin.... am I anorexic or bolimic? What excactly is the difference?
Patricia

[funnygirl]

Patricia

I am a dietician and will try to explain the differences for your information.

As a rough guide, anorexia is when you avoid eating (with maybe occasional binges).

Bulimia is when you binge and fast in turn, and after a binge you either vomit or purge. Some women chew up food and spit it out.

Of course, the two conditions can overlap and a person can have symptoms of both.

But at the same time, there is a big difference in these two diseases: usually, anorexics are underweight (sometimes very thin indeed), but bulimics can be a healthy-looking normal weight.

The late Princess Diana used to be anorexic (you can see newsreels of her looking pathetically skinny) but then became bulimic when she began to eat large amounts of food but made herself vomit. You can see how she reached an apparently more healthy-looking weight.

It was only when she consulted Susie Orbach (Fat is a Feminist Issue) that she was able to shake off her compulsion.

I hope this has been helpful to you. Always remember the harm that purging or vomiting can do to your teeth, oesophagus, electrolite balance, etc etc.

FG

[brokenthoughts]

I'm confused about my eating habits, too. for a few days I'll not eat much at all, and for another few days, I can't stop eating.

one time, in six days lost 12 pounds. I'm about 4'11 and ussually weigh around 102 pounds. at the begining of that week, I weighed 104 pounds, by the end of it I weighed 92 pounds. then I'll gain weight, and lose weight. I have no idea why I eat this way, or what it would be called. I haven't remained the same weight for a long time. it's always going up and down. This is a continuouse cycle.

I hope the best for you, and if anyone can help me with my question, I'd appreciate it...

[funnygirl]

Nikki

Obviously I can't diagnose you but feasting and fasting does constitute an eating disorder and you should seek proper help to break the addiction (because it is an addiction or compulsion).

When a person tries to live on starvation rations, the body will rebel after a while and try to take in more calories, hence the bingeing. It's a survival mechanism.

You did not say whether you purge or vomit after a binge.

Your weight is low, but not ominously so for your height and any diagnosis would also depend on your type of build.

Please do consult a professional who can assess you properly.

You can beat this, NikkiB

Best wishes, FG

[m24s]

OMG me too...i have ignored it for so long. I was anorexic a few years ago, and believe me i wish i still was...i abused laxatives for about 4 years and my tolerance went up quite a bit. As a result i am irregular and my stomach is always in knots. Yet, if i am having a fat day i take an enema or a few pills. What would you call this? I would rather not be classified, but i would like to stop doing this to myself

[funnygirl]

M24S

I'm glad you kicked the anorexia. Well done!

But now you could try to stop the laxatives as they will harm you if abused. If you feel bloated through eating more than usual, try a bulking agent (good UK ones are Regulan and Fybogel) and it will work a healthy motion through you but without that horrible purging action.

Anyway, purging won't stop the food being absorbed when passing through the gut, so you may as well give it up.

We must try to feel more relaxed around food, then there would be no problem. I always recommend Susie Orbach's book 'Fat is a Feminist Issue' - you could give it a whirl.

FG