One of my best friends recently adopted two daughters that have struggled with bulimia for the three years they have lived with her as foster children. Initially it was very difficult for her to get anyone to believe they struggled from this disorder because of their ages. It was even harder to find anyone who felt qualified to do therapy with them specifically for bulimia because of their young ages the girls were six and eight. While it is true that this disease normally affects teens and young adults, don’t dismiss the signs if you see them in your child. One of the first things my friend noticed was the back of her daughters’ hands which were calloused and discolored. She noticed a pattern of her daughters’ always leaving the table during meals to use the bathroom. Her daughters’ were also obsessed with fat grams, calories and being skinny. It was especially difficult to control at school. She began to question the teachers on a regular basis and realized the girls were throwing up their lunches at school everyday as well.

Who is affected by bulimia?
“The majority of bulimics are female, adolescent, and from a high socioeconomic group. Each year millions of people in the United States are affected by serious and sometimes life-threatening eating disorders. More than 90 percent of those afflicted are adolescent and young adult women. It is suggested that the reason women in this age group are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders is because of their tendency to go on strict diets to achieve an "ideal" figure. Researchers have found that such stringent dieting can play a key role in triggering eating disorders.”
The consequences of eating disorders can be severe - 5 percent to 20 percent of cases of anorexia nervosa lead to death from starvation, cardiac arrest, other medical complications, or suicide.
Bulimia nervosa, usually referred to as bulimia, is defined as uncontrolled episodes of overeating (bingeing) and usually followed by purging (self-induced vomiting), misuse of laxatives, enemas, or medications that cause increased production of urine, fasting, or excessive exercise to control weight. Bingeing, in this situation, is defined as eating much larger amounts of food than would normally be consumed within a short period of time (usually less than two hours). Eating binges occur at least twice a week for three months and may occur as often as several times a day
The following are the most common symptoms of bulimia. However, each individual may experience signs differently. Symptoms may include:
• usually a normal or low body weight (sees self as overweight)
• recurrent episodes of binge eating (rapid consumption of excessive amounts of food in a relatively short period of time; often secretive) , coupled with fearful feelings of not being able to stop eating during the bingeing episodes
• self-induced vomiting (usually secretive)
• excessive exercise or fasting
• peculiar eating habits or rituals
• inappropriate use of laxatives, diuretics , or other cathartics
• irregular or absence of menstruation
• anxiety
• discouraged feelings related to dissatisfaction with themselves and their bodily appearance
• depression
• preoccupation with food, weight, and body shape
• scarring on the back of the fingers from the process of self-induced vomiting
• overachieving behaviors
The symptoms of bulimia may resemble other medical problems or psychiatric conditions. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.

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