subject: Characteristics of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia [print this page] Anorexia nervosa is a condition in which an individual engages in behaviors that consist of starving oneself to maintain his or her body weight. The person starts working hard to lose excessive body weight, due to a false perception that he or she is obese. Such people usually start eating very less, or nothing at all to obtain the "perfect" figure.
On the other hand, bulimia is an eating disorder that leads to a person being obsessed with food so much that he or she eats much more than required. Once they have eaten in great amounts, they engage in various behaviors, such as purging to take out the food that has been consumed, due to feelings of guilt or worry about being overweight.
Both eating disorders are similar in nature when it comes to being worried about staying thin and not gaining weight. People who have these disorders may become greatly depressed about being obese and not looking good. Also, they become this way after they have spent some time dieting.
Sufferers of these disorders are anxious most of the time and keep thinking about what they can do to shed the extra weight, so that they can look attractive.
Usually, these eating disorders also lead to psychological problems such as depression and stress in the sufferer. Most people start taking drugs or alcohol to get relief.
Some differences between the two also exist. Firstly, people who have bulimia worry less about how other people perceive them, than the ones with anorexia. The levels of concern relating to what people may think about them are less as compared to anorexics. Also, they put less emphasis in eating while calculating every single calorie that they are taking in.
Moreover, people with bulimia may show impulsive behaviors, such as purging, and may suffer from severe mood swings unlike anorexics who tend to be more of the opposite.
