ATKINS (low-carbohydrate diet)
The Atkins Diet is a very popular diet. Dr. Robert Atkins' concept, somewhat exaggerated by the media, that a person can lose weight while eating significant quantities of fat and protein but strictly reducing carbohydrates, has captured the public's imagination. The success of those who tried the diet varied depending on the degree they adhered to the long term stages of the diet structure. The Atkins diet was originally designed for diabetes patients who wanted to manage their insulin levels more effectively. The diet was also embraced by those seeking a diet that all
ows eating to satiation.
Atkins discourages refined carbohydrate intake and encourages protein intake, especially in the form of meat. The diet encourages the consumption of fruits and non-starchy vegetables for the provision of fiber and nutrients; it takes a somewhat neutral stand on fat intake.
Many people experience rapid initial weight loss on Atkins, some of which is due to depletion of glycogen stores in the liver. Loss of glycogen is associated with loss of water weight, since the body stores up to four pounds of water for each pound of glycogen.
Low carbohydrate diets have been shown to reduce the fasting levels of triglycerides. Elevated triglycerides are a demonstrated risk factor for heart disease. Low-fat diets also reduce fasting levels of triglycerides.
A low-carbohydrate diet may not be suitable as a long-term weight-maintenance diet. The products of fat metabolism and protein metabolism include ketones which can be harmful.
Successful weight-loss diets generally cause acidosis; symptoms range from mild fatigue to severe joint pain. Acidosis can be controlled by drinking water in large amounts and taking antacid supplements or eating vegetables grown in alkaline soil.
Human metabolism is enormously complicated. Diets whose effectiveness is not based on the simple balance of energy must be evaluated experimentally. The premise that protein is less fattening than carbohydrates is unproven, although the specific dynamic action of protein is 30%, while the corresponding figures for carbohydrate and fat are 6% and 4% respectively. ""One hundred kilocalories of protein produces an extra 30 kcal of heat, while similar amounts of carbohydrate and fat raise the metabolic rate by 6 and 4 kcal, respectively"
"Essential Human Anatomy and Physiology" Barbara R. Landau, 1976
The Atkins Diet is a very popular diet. Dr. Robert Atkins' concept, somewhat exaggerated by the media, that a person can lose weight while eating significant quantities of fat and protein but strictly reducing carbohydrates, has captured the public's imagination. The success of those who tried the diet varied depending on the degree they adhered to the long term stages of the diet structure. The Atkins diet was originally designed for diabetes patients who wanted to manage their insulin levels more effectively. The diet was also embraced by those seeking a diet that all
ows eating to satiation.Atkins discourages refined carbohydrate intake and encourages protein intake, especially in the form of meat. The diet encourages the consumption of fruits and non-starchy vegetables for the provision of fiber and nutrients; it takes a somewhat neutral stand on fat intake.
Many people experience rapid initial weight loss on Atkins, some of which is due to depletion of glycogen stores in the liver. Loss of glycogen is associated with loss of water weight, since the body stores up to four pounds of water for each pound of glycogen.
Low carbohydrate diets have been shown to reduce the fasting levels of triglycerides. Elevated triglycerides are a demonstrated risk factor for heart disease. Low-fat diets also reduce fasting levels of triglycerides.
A low-carbohydrate diet may not be suitable as a long-term weight-maintenance diet. The products of fat metabolism and protein metabolism include ketones which can be harmful.
Successful weight-loss diets generally cause acidosis; symptoms range from mild fatigue to severe joint pain. Acidosis can be controlled by drinking water in large amounts and taking antacid supplements or eating vegetables grown in alkaline soil.
Human metabolism is enormously complicated. Diets whose effectiveness is not based on the simple balance of energy must be evaluated experimentally. The premise that protein is less fattening than carbohydrates is unproven, although the specific dynamic action of protein is 30%, while the corresponding figures for carbohydrate and fat are 6% and 4% respectively. ""One hundred kilocalories of protein produces an extra 30 kcal of heat, while similar amounts of carbohydrate and fat raise the metabolic rate by 6 and 4 kcal, respectively"
"Essential Human Anatomy and Physiology" Barbara R. Landau, 1976
4 Most Harmful Ingredients in Packaged Foods
Ninety percent of Americans' household food budget is spent on processed foods, the majority of which are filled with additives and stripped of nutrients.
Grab the broccoli with cheese sauce from the freezer, the box of instant rice pilaf from the pantry, or the hot dogs from your fridge and squint at the ingredient list's fine print. You'll likely find food additives in every one.Is this healthy? Compared to the foods our bodies were built to eat, definitely not.
Processed, packaged foods have almost completely taken over the diet of Americans. In fact, nearly 90 percent of our household food budget is spent on processed foods, according to industry estimates.
Unfortunately, most processed foods are laden with sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives. But the trouble is not just what's been added, but what's been taken away. Processed foods are often stripped of nutrients designed by nature to protect your heart. Combine that with additives, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Here are the big four ingredients in processed foods you should look out for:
TRANS FATSTrans fats are in moist bakery muffins and crispy crackers, microwave popcorn and fast-food French fries, even the stick margarine you may rely on as a "heart-healthy" alternative to saturated-fat-laden butter.Once hailed as a cheap, heart-friendly replacement for butter, lard, and coconut oil, trans fats have, in recent times, been denounced by one Harvard nutrition expert as "the biggest food-processing disaster in U.S. history." Why? Research now reveals trans fats are twice as dangerous for your heart as saturated fat, and cause an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 premature heart disease deaths each year.Replacing trans fats with good fats could cut your heart attack risk by a whopping 53 percent.
REFINED GRAINS
Choosing refined grains such as white bread, rolls, sugary low-fiber cereal, white rice, or white pasta over whole grains can boost your heart attack risk by up to 30 percent. At least seven major studies show that women and men who eat more whole grains (including dark bread, whole-grain breakfast cereals, popcorn, cooked oatmeal, brown rice, bran, and other grains like bulgur or kasha) have 20 to 30 percent less heart disease. In contrast, those who opt for refined grains have more heart attacks, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.
SALT
Some sodium occurs naturally in unprocessed edibles, including milk, beets, celery, even some drinking water. And that's a good thing: Sodium is necessary for life. It helps regulate blood pressure, maintains the body's fluid balance, transmits nerve impulses, makes muscles -- including your heart -- contract, and keeps your senses of taste
, smell, and touch working properly. You need a little every day to replace what's lost to sweat, tears, and other excretions.
, smell, and touch working properly. You need a little every day to replace what's lost to sweat, tears, and other excretions.But what happens when you eat more salt than your body needs? Your body retains fluid simply to dilute the extra sodium in your bloodstream. This raises blood volume, forcing your heart to work harder; at the same time, it makes veins and arteries constrict. The combination raises blood pressure.Your limit should be 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, about the amount in three-fourths of a teaspoon of salt.
HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
Compared to traditional sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup costs less to make, is sweeter to the taste, and mixes more easily with other ingredients. Today, we consume nearly 63 pounds of it per person per year in drinks and sweets, as well as in other products. High-fructose corn syrup is in many frozen foods. It gives bread an inviting, brown color and soft texture, so it's also in whole-wheat bread, hamburger buns, and English muffins. It is in beer, bacon, spaghetti sauce, soft drinks, and even ketchup.Research is beginning to suggest that this liquid sweetener may upset the human metabolism, raising the risk for heart disease and diabetes. Researchers say that high-fructose corn syrup's chemical structure encourages overeating. In addition, fructose may zap your body's reserves of chromium, a mineral important for healthy levels of cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar.To spot fructose on a food label, look for the words "corn sweetener," "corn syrup," or "corn syrup solids" as well as "high-fructose corn syrup."
Diets damage health, shows biggest ever study
The world's largest study of weight loss has shown that diets do not work for the vast majority of slimmers and may even put lives at risk.
More than two-thirds pile the pounds straight back on, raising the danger of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.
Indeed most dieters end up heavier than they did to start with, the researchers found.
They warn this type of yo-yo behaviour is linked to a host of health problems. And they say the strain that repeated weight loss and gain places on the body means most people would have been better off not dieting at all.
The findings follow other research that shows the UK is in the grip of a dieting frenzy, with one in four Britons at any one time trying to lose weight.
The average woman is estimated to lose and gain 251/2 stone during her lifetime - putting on 151/2 stone for the ten stone she loses through dieting. Last night, the U.S. scientists behind the latest research - the most thorough and comprehensive analysis of its kind - said that dieting simply does not work.
The University of California researchers analysed the results of more than 30 studies involving thousands of slimmers.
Although the overview did not name specific weight loss plans, popular diets in recent years i
include the low carbohydrate, high protein Atkins diet and the GI diet, which is rich in slow-burning wholegrain carbohydrates.
Pooling the results of the various studies clearly showed that while people do lose weight initially, most quickly put all the pounds back on.
In fact, most people end up weighing more than they did to begin with. Researcher Dr Traci Mann said: "You can initially lost 5 to 10 per cent of your weight on any number of diets.
"But after this honeymoon period, the weight comes back. We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. Sustained weight loss was found only in a small minority of participants, while complete weight regain was found in the majority."
Dr Mann's research showed that up to two-thirds of dieters put on all the weight they lose - and more - over a four to five-year period. Half of those taking part in one study were more than 11lb heavier five years later, while dieters taking part in another study actually ended up heavier than other volunteers who hadn't tried to lose weight.
A four-year study into the health of 19,000 men revealed that most of those who put on weight had dieted in the years before the start of the study.
Bleak as these figures seem, the true picture could be even worse, as it is thought that most people lie about their weight - and don't like to tell researchers that their weight has started to creep up again.
The analysis, published in the journal American Psychologist, concluded dieters may actually be damaging their health.
Research has shown the repeated rapid weight gain and loss associated with dieting can double the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death in general.
Such yo-yo weight loss has also been linked to stroke and diabetes and shown to suppress the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infection.
Dr Mann said: "We decided to dig up and analyse every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all.
"Their weight would have been pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back.
"The benefits of dieting are simply too small and the potential harms of dieting are too large for it to be recommended as a safe and effective treatment for obesity."
The psychologist, who advises would-be slimmers to swap calorie-controlled diets for a balanced diet coupled with regular exercise, added: "Exercise may well be the key factor leading to sustained weight loss.
Studies consistently find that people who report the most exercise also have the most weight loss."
The finding comes as Britain fights a rising tide of obesity.
A growing reliance on fast food and time-saving technology has led to the UK developing the worst weight problem in Europe, with almost a quarter of adults classed as obese.
Last night, British experts said that fad diets do not work and that the key to maintaining a healthy weight is making gradual, long-term changes.
Dr Beckie Lang, of the Association for the Study of Obesity, said: "Maintaining a healthy weight isn't about going on a diet and coming off a diet when you reach your target weight. It is about adopting skills that change your eating habits for life."
(By FIONA MacRAE - More by this author » )
Diet or Disorder?It's A Thin Line
Researchers have found that stringent dieting can play a key role in triggering eating disorders. But sometimes it's difficult to tell when a person crosses over the line between a healthy weight loss program to an out-of-control problem. How can you tell the difference between normal dieting and a developing eating disorder?
Daily Calories Too Low
Stringent "starvation" diets are dangerous and can cause damage to muscles and organs, particularly the heart. Furthermore, extreme diets can trigger the body to enter starvation mode and make it more difficult to lose weight.
Stringent "starvation" diets are dangerous and can cause damage to muscles and organs, particularly the heart. Furthermore, extreme diets can trigger the body to enter starvation mode and make it more difficult to lose weight.
How many calories are safe in a weight loss diet? A rough rule of thumb -- calculate the number of calories based on the target weight times 100. For example if the goal is to reach and maintain 125 pounds, then your daily caloric intake should be 1,250 calories per day. Whatever the weight goal, a diet should include at least 1,000 calories a day unless closely supervised by a doctor.
Unbalanced Diet
We've all heard of the fad diets that have you eating only eggs and grapefruit, or only carbohydrates, or no carbohydrates. The safest, most effective approach to eating is to follow the food pyramid recommendations from the National Institute of Health - just have smaller servings. Even with a weight loss diet, a person needs a balance of fruits and vegetables, fats, dairy products, proteins, and carbohydrates to stay healthy.
We've all heard of the fad diets that have you eating only eggs and grapefruit, or only carbohydrates, or no carbohydrates. The safest, most effective approach to eating is to follow the food pyramid recommendations from the National Institute of Health - just have smaller servings. Even with a weight loss diet, a person needs a balance of fruits and vegetables, fats, dairy products, proteins, and carbohydrates to stay healthy.
Rapid Weight Loss
Research has shown that a healthy rate of weight loss is 2-4 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose weight more rapidly, you're less likely to keep the weight off in the long term. Severe dieting leaves the dieter feeling deprived and seems to promote the urge to binge.
Research has shown that a healthy rate of weight loss is 2-4 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose weight more rapidly, you're less likely to keep the weight off in the long term. Severe dieting leaves the dieter feeling deprived and seems to promote the urge to binge.
Unending or "Yo-Yo" Dieting
A weight loss diet should be structured so that the dieter reaches their goal weight and maintains that weight with small fluctuations. Extreme weight swings or constant, on-going weight loss diets are warning signs that there may be abnormal eating patterns developing.
A weight loss diet should be structured so that the dieter reaches their goal weight and maintains that weight with small fluctuations. Extreme weight swings or constant, on-going weight loss diets are warning signs that there may be abnormal eating patterns developing.
Dieting Too Young
Research shows that more than 90 percent of those afflicted with eating disorders are adolescents at the time the eating disorder began. One reason that girls in this age group are vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency to go on strict diets to achieve an "ideal" figure. Peer pressure to be thin also plays a role. The younger a person is when beginning weight loss diets, the greater their chance of developing an eating disorder.
Research shows that more than 90 percent of those afflicted with eating disorders are adolescents at the time the eating disorder began. One reason that girls in this age group are vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency to go on strict diets to achieve an "ideal" figure. Peer pressure to be thin also plays a role. The younger a person is when beginning weight loss diets, the greater their chance of developing an eating disorder.
And if you are worried if you are having an eating disorder, you can even go this website to take a short quiz: http://www.prairiepublic.org/features/healthworks/disordered/quiz.htm.
Dieting Kids May Gain Weight
ok i just found this article on google...
says that kids who diet actually put on more weight than those who dont.
thats weird...i didnt know about that...
haha read on then... :)
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found children who diet to lose or maintain weight may actually be doing the reverse. A study published in the October 2003 issue of Pediatrics showed frequent dieting among kids aged nine to 14 was not only ineffective, but may ultimately lead to weight gain.
"Our nationwide study found that as many as one in four American children under the age of 14 were dieting," said Alison Field, ScD, BWH researcher, in a news release. "Given the alarming increase in the percentage of children who are overweight, we felt it was important to understand whether dieting, which is common, particularly among girls, was helpful or actually contributing to the obesity epidemic."
At the start of the study, the research team found approximately 30 percent of girls and 16 percent of the boys were dieting.
At the start of the study, the research team found approximately 30 percent of girls and 16 percent of the boys were dieting.
During three years of follow-up, they found that although the children who said they were dieters reported being more active and eating fewer calories than their peers, they actually gained more weight than non-dieters.
An example cited by the study was the case of a 14-year old girl, who as a frequent dieter, gained approximately two more pounds annually than girls her same age who did not diet. Girls who dieted less often gained slightly less weight, but still significantly more than non-dieters.
"At a time when we need solutions to encourage healthy eating habits, it is troubling to see that dieting, which is often characterized by short term and not necessarily healthy changes in eating, is so common,” noted Field, also of Harvard Medical School. "Our study found that dieting was counterproductive -- children who dieted gained more, not less, weight than non-dieters."
Field and her team provided several possible explanations for the findings. The most likely is that dieting may lead to a cycle of restrictive eating, followed by bouts of overeating or binge eating. (Therefore, the subjects' overeating repeatedly between diets could have led to the weight gain.)
"At a time when we need solutions to encourage healthy eating habits, it is troubling to see that dieting, which is often characterized by short term and not necessarily healthy changes in eating, is so common,” noted Field, also of Harvard Medical School. "Our study found that dieting was counterproductive -- children who dieted gained more, not less, weight than non-dieters."
Field and her team provided several possible explanations for the findings. The most likely is that dieting may lead to a cycle of restrictive eating, followed by bouts of overeating or binge eating. (Therefore, the subjects' overeating repeatedly between diets could have led to the weight gain.)
When BWH researchers studied the mothers of these children, they found behaviors and/or lifestyle factors associated with weight control were established by late adolescence. However, this research suggests that dieting behaviors may manifest themselves at a much younger age:
"It is becoming increasingly important for parents and physicians to intervene and break bad eating and weight control habits early on," said Field.
"It is becoming increasingly important for parents and physicians to intervene and break bad eating and weight control habits early on," said Field.
"Although for children and adolescents who are overweight, diets carefully supervised by a clinician may be beneficial and appropriate, our results suggest that casual dieting to control weight loss in the long term is not only ineffective, it may actually promote weight gain."
This story was adapted from a news release provided by Brigham and Women's Hospital Research Web Site.
This story was adapted from a news release provided by Brigham and Women's Hospital Research Web Site.
Article originally published on March 18, 2004.
http://weightloss.about.com/cs/childhoodobesity/a/aa031804a.htm
http://weightloss.about.com/cs/childhoodobesity/a/aa031804a.htm
DYSPEPSIAhai, i am going to explain to you about the dyspepsia...
as i was reading i found out that so many children that suffer dyspepsia
you(readers) can find out more if you interested in this section......
you can also give comments to all of our post....
he....
enjoy your reading,..........
Definition
Dyspepsia means painful, difficult, or disturbed digestion not associated with a definitive pathologic condition.
Description
Dyspepsia - often called indigestion - is a common malady that many associate with the TV ads for antacids. While dyspeptic symptoms are often caused by overeating or eating the wrong foods, the disorder can be associated with a more serious problem. The chronic recurrence and persistence of crippling dyspeptic symptoms disrupt the lives of many Americans. People suffering from the most severe symptoms can become disabled enough to miss work. Frequent doctors' visits and expensive diagnostic procedures can create a financial drain. In addition, many unnecessary operations are performed in an attempt to relieve the painful symptoms. Unfortunately, despite the surgery, many patients continue to suffer from the symptoms of dyspepsia. The causes of dyspepsia are many, and some of them are not clearly understood. Too often, dyspepsia has been dismissed as a psychosomatic disorder. However, in recent years, doctors have begun to realize that dyspepsia is often the result of a malfunctioning of either the nervous system or the muscular activity of the stomach or small intestine. The delicate motions of the stomach and small intestine are regulated by the brain and by a network of nerves embedded in the muscle wall of the digestive tract. The coordination between these nerve endings that secrete a variety of chemical substances (called neurotransmitters), hormones, and the muscle fibers in the wall of the digestive tract regulate the movement of the tract and thereby promote the digestion, absorption, and elimination of food we eat. Any disruption in the normal functioning of the nervous system or the muscular activity of the digestive tract can cause dyspepsia.
Causes
Dyspepsia can be caused by many different things. Symptoms similar to dyspepsia can be due to conditions ranging from mild and self-limiting to serious - so differentiation is important. Dyspeptic symptoms can occur allong with the following:
- Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)
- Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
- Stomach ulcer
- Cancer of the stomach
- Gallbladder disease
- Pancreatic diseases
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
- Pregnancy
Diabetes mellitus Dyspepsia can also occur without the presence of digestive disorders. When no disease is apparent, doctors in the past tended to diagnose patients as having a psychosomatic disorder. In recent years, however, medical research has recognized that the stomach and small intestine are regulated by "pacemakers" - much like the heart - that coordinate the movement of the muscles of the digestive tract. During normal digestion, the muscle wall contracts and relaxes, allowing the upper part of the stomach to serve as a reservoir and the lower part to break down (digest) food. When the breakdown is complete, the stomach empties its contents into the upper part of the intestine (duodenum).
Symptoms
A person is said to have dyspepsia if he/she suffers from several of a group of symptoms which might include nausea, regurgitation (backwash of stomach contents into the esophagus or mouth), vomiting, heartburn, prolonged abdominal fullness or bloating after a meal, stomach discomfort or pain, and early fullness. Often people say that they have a "sick feeling in the stomach," or "indigestion," or maybe "nervous stomach" when they are suffering from dyspeptic symptoms. Sometimes people will experience these symptoms after overeating, or eating foods that disagree with them. The symptoms may also accompany a disease such as peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, or gastritis. Other people experience the symptoms for no apparent reason. The symptoms can last for 3 to 4 days, sometimes longer. In some people, dyspeptic symptoms can be severe and continuous, disrupting daily routines and causing absence from work. Although dyspepsia can afflict men and women from all walks of life, it is most common in women ranging in age from 16 to 60. A woman is even more likely to experience dyspepsia during her childbearing years. Also patients in whom irritable bowel syndrome has been diagnosed comprise the majority of dyspepsia sufferers.
Treatment
If the dyspepsia is associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder disease, or some other organic disorder, your doctor will begin by treating the specific disorder. Dyspepsia not associated with a specific illness can usually be controlled by diet. Avoiding greasy foods or solid foods containing meat sometimes helps. And, if you are lactose intolerant, eliminating all dairy products from the diet should provide relief. If the symptoms are severe, the doctor may recommend only liquids or small amounts of soft foods until the symptoms subside. If these measures do not work, medical therapies may be prescribed to control persistent symptoms. Apart from avoiding known irritants (such as alcohol, aspirin, and nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs), patients may have to take antacids and H2 blockers such as Tagamet.
Southern Medical Journal 95(2002):1047.by Amy Stevens, MD, D. Paul Robinson, MD, Julie Turpin, RD, Ted Groshong, MD, Joseph D. Tobias, MDhttp://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/442894_print
Emergency teams were summoned to a local high school to care for a 16-year-old girl who had suddenly collapsed. She was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed approximately 80 to 85 kg (176 to 187 lb). The patient had been in good health with no known history of medical problems.
She had started a low-carbohydrate/high-protein diet 1 or 2 weeks earlier in an effort to lose weight. She had learned about the diet from video tapes, purchased from an advertisement on television. Her mother had been on the same diet. She had complied with the dietary regimen, eating meat, cheese, and salads without fasting.
When the paramedics arrived, the girl was pulseless and apneic. The electrocardiogram revealed ventricular fibrillation. The patient's trachea was intubated and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated. Resuscitative measures, including defibrillation, were without effect. On arrival in the emergency department, the patient remained pulseless, with no evidence of cardiac activity.
hello.
I just remembered that I read this book long ago about this girl who was anorexic.
I forgot the title but the story was based in Singapore.
It's about this girl who was very fat and she had one very beautiful and slim sister and one brother.
And she always thinks that nobody cares about her because she is fat and ugly, and she has this idea that if she manages to slim down, everyone would like her.
So she started on a diet and ate only fruits for dinner and exercised a lot at night.
And she ate a lot of slimming pills too.
Then she realised that if she makes herself vomit after she eats, she can lose weight much faster.
So then, she got thinner and thinner and all her friends said she became prettier.
Then, she took part in this beauty contest with her friends but she fainted halfway.
That was when everyone came to know about her problems.
And she realised that actually everyone cares a lot about her, and it's just that they are all so busy that they neglected her.
So her mum brought her to see a counsellor and she started reading her diary where all the entries were addressed to her mum.
ok, anyway, the story was quite sad.
Especially the part where she was in the hospital and her sister and brother went to visit her and told her how much they love her.
Edit:
I found the book! It was in my cupboard all along. Its called Elevator Food by Amos Kwok:
Angeline think she's fat and ugly. It's hard living with a brother and sisiter who are both good-looking and also hard in school because her friends are so pretty. Worried no boy would ever ask her out on a date, Angeline tries all kinds of diet to shed a few kilos. Nothing works so she keeps forcing herself to eat less and exercise more. She panics when her friends enter a magazine beauty contest and expect her to join too. That's when she decides to take more drastic action in order to stand a chance of winning.
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa, commonly known as bulimia, is an eating disorder. It is a psychological condition in which the subject engages in recurrent binge eating followed by an intentional purging. This purging is done in order to compensate for the excessive intake of the food and to prevent weight gain. Purging typically takes the form of vomiting; inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics or other medication; excessive physical exercise; or fasting. New research suggests that some sufferers may have a hormonal imbalance of testosterone; however, this research is in its early stages.The specific subtypes of bulimia are distinguished by the way the bulimic relieves themselves of the binge.
Purging typeThe purging type involves self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, tapeworms, enemas, or ipecac, as a means of rapidly extricating the contents from their body. This type is generally more found, and can use one or more of the above methods.
Non-Purging Type
This type of bulimia is rarely found (occurring in only approximately 6%-8% of cases), as it is a less effective means of ridding the body of such a large number of calories. This type of bulimia involves engaging in excessive exercise or fasting following a binge in order to counteract the large amount of calories previously ingested. This is frequently observed in purging-type bulimics as well, however this method is, by definition, not their primary form of weight control following a binge.
This type of bulimia is rarely found (occurring in only approximately 6%-8% of cases), as it is a less effective means of ridding the body of such a large number of calories. This type of bulimia involves engaging in excessive exercise or fasting following a binge in order to counteract the large amount of calories previously ingested. This is frequently observed in purging-type bulimics as well, however this method is, by definition, not their primary form of weight control following a binge.
Consequences of bulimia nervosaBulimia can result in following health problems:
*Teeth erosion and cavities, gum disease
*Swelling of the face and cheeks, especially apparent in the lower eyelids due to the high pressure of blood in the face during vomiting.
*Callused or bruised fingers
*Dry or brittle skin, hair, and nails, or hair loss
*Callused or bruised fingers
*Dry or brittle skin, hair, and nails, or hair loss
*Potential death caused by heart attack or heart failure; lung collapse; internal bleeding, stroke, kidney failure, liver failure; pancreatitis, gastric rupture, perforated ulcer, depression and suicide.