Addiction can cost up to $200 per day. What would you do with that money if treatment was affordable? Find out if your insurance covers treatment now! Bulimics develop a certain ebb and flow with food, taking part in an endless cycle of overeating and later getting rid of the food. The cycle begins with eating massive amounts of food in one sitting, known as binge eating. Minutes after binging, the cycle advances to purging. Purging is often achieved through: Unfortunately, bulimia is often minimized in the addiction community. Since bulimics usually have healthy body weights, friends and family members rarely recognize the signs of an eating disorder. In fact, bulimia nervosa is sometimes trivialized by medical and mental health professionals. Signs and symptoms are commonly ignored or misdiagnosed. While anorexics are classically underweight and visibly unhealthy, bulimics generally maintain a healthy weight for their own age and body type. A new study from the University of California – San Diego suggests that the altered function of neural circuitry contributes to restricted eating in anorexia and overeating in bulimia. While anorexics are classically underweight and visibly unhealthy, bulimics generally maintain a healthy weight for their own age and body type. Additionally, bulimics don’t worry about the number of calories in a binge eating session, whereas anorexics focus on each and every bite of food taken in. The two eating disorders do have some similarities. At the core of both bulimia and anorexia, people are paralyzed with the fear of gaining weight. They seek out unhealthy ways of losing weight, endangering overall health in an effort to create the ideal body image. Bulimics and anorexics have an altered sense of self and, without the proper treatment, will never be satisfied with their bodies. If you or someone you know is struggling with bulimia or anorexia, help is available at one of the best eating disorder treatment centers. Image Source: Flickr