Obese(I hate that word) & Bulimic?

Is it possible? I feel so alone, my doctors all want me to go to the Eating Disorders Clinic because I've been struggling with Bulimia for so long(over 10 years now, almost 15) But the thought makes me feel so stressed and scared I can't even imagine myself going. My Doctor tells me that alot of Bulimics are overweight but I refuse to believe him. I imagine myself walking in and people laughing, me body making people sick just from looking at me.
Are there any more overweight Bulimics out there? I need help, I know...but I am too ashamed to get it. <font color="brown"> </font>

Though I'm sad for what you are going through right now, I'm glad that you've brought the weight issue and bulimia up. It's a VERY common misperception, but in fact "in order to be classified as bulimic the person must be of normal or overweight."

You can find the DSM-IV criteria that psychiatrists use to diagnose bulimia nervosa is as follows:
(1) eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g. within any 2 hour period), and amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances
(2) a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g. a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)
B. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviour in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.
C. The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviours both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months.
D. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
E. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of Anorexia Nervosa.
**Specify type:
--Purging Type: During the current episode of Bulimia Nervosa, the person has regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas.
--Non-purging Type: During the current episode of Bulimia Nervosa, the person has used other inappropriate compensatory behaviours, such as fasting or excessive exercise, but has not regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas.

Anyway, most people know all this, but I include it because it took a few read throughs for me to see that there is no mention of weight loss, or being underweight. When someone is underweight and has bulimic behaviors they are considered to be the binge-eating or purging type of anorexia (most people just think of the restrictive type of anorexia).

Although some people purge everything that they eat compulsively (not only after a binge), or purge after ingesting very small amounts of food, this would not be considered bulimia.

Not to say that this isn't eating disordered behavior -- this is where the EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) is used, or the anorexia binge/purge type if underweight.

Also, people who are bulimic may alternate between bulimia and b/p type anorexia, the latter of which could involve fasting or compulsive purging of all food ingested. This would explain the occurance of large drops then gains of weight in a bulimic.

These would be the cases where people lose weight, as far as I know. Bulimia by definition only involves purging after a huge amount of food is ingested (a binge) and the purging is done to "compensate" for the "excess" calories consumed, not to rid oneself of a normal, recommended number of calories.

I'm on meds now that control my appetite, so when I do "binge" it's not a real binge (just something like a piece of cake, that I wouldn't allow myself to have for fear of gaining weight). Before this my binges consisted of consuming 4,000-8,000 calories in about 20 minutes.

I gained 30lbs while bulimic; now I'm EDNOS and have lost 15. I still consider myself bulimic, because of the purging, but really I'm not since I don't meet either of the 2 binging criteria.

Sorry for the rambling, I hope some of it was helpful at least.

Jessie

im 245 and im bulimic. your not alone

i suppose ive been bulumic for 3 years, even though it was only diagnosed a year or so ago.

i used to be 180-something and 5'4 and i was like that for a year and a half, just fluctuationg around the 180 weight. its cause my binges were huge and because i was so young (12 or 13) i couldnt purge it all properly, when i got older i started to loose the weight (and grow another 3 inches, which helps!) because i could purge it all properly.

i dont know if this is true or just hear say but sometimes if its an easily digestible food your body will start to digest it (if you take some time to purge - i know some people do) and youe body digests the lipase (fats) first because it is easiest to break down.

so im guessing there are many obese bulimics, i used to be. your not alone (((((((((Daizee))))))))))

Siani x

That's true about a lot of bulimics being overweight or obese. Many people just don't know about it because they just think that this kind of thing would produce skinny women. Boy are people stupid. It's very hard to detect bulimia because it can be much more deceptive than annorexia nervosa. I think it would be a good idea to go and get some help from the clinic that your doc suggested- just to help yourself. It just might be able to give you a better quality of life than you may be experiencing at the mo. Do you experience any of the symptoms like dizziness??? if i may ask. I think that getting help and addressing the issue would be a very smart thing to do! No-one will laugh at you because all the people feel exactly the same about themselves mostly. All the people at the clinics are there for the same thing and that is to get better. You may find that it is an extremely supportive environment- therapy groups and the like do seem to me to be this way. I dunno- you could just try it. Just maybe give it a chance and if it's crap then don't go back- but this problem seems to have been going on for quite a while for you so it may be best if you seek some councel.
I wish you the best of luck!
-Sezzie-

I am sick everyday, I'm dizzy, tired, and irritable.
At the prime of my sickness I went to an Eating Disorder Specialist, but I didn't care for him, now he runs the Clinic. I just feel so out of place. I know it's part of my other illnesses(Anxiety & paranoia). I just want to feel well.
Thanks everyone for your insight.