Abstract

ABSTACTBulimia occurs in roughly half of obese and anorexic patients. A recent study found 19% of female and 5% of male college students to be bulimic. Binge eating usually comes to the physicians attention from problems associated with purging measures—diuretics, laxatives, or self-induced postprandial vomiting—used by one out of ten bulimic patients. Continuous vomiting causes parotid enlargement, sore throat, spontaneous regurgitation, and severe electrolyte imbalance. We report a case illustrating the bulimics distorted body image, review alternative treatment methods, and suggest needed areas of research, particularly those elucidating the relationship between bulimia and affective disorders.