Eating Disorder Pro

Does each disorder present with the same set of symptoms?
What are the medical complications?

Does each disorder present with the same set of symptoms?

Not at all. Some individuals with Bulimia do not actually binge, although they feel as if they have eaten too much if they eat normally. This is called a subjective binge. However, it still causes the same anxiety which can only be relieved by purging. Purging, however can take many forms including vomiting, excessive exercise, and use of diuretics and laxatives.

Individuals with Anorexia primarily restrict food intake by sheer dent of will and pride themselves on their willpower. Others rely heavily upon the use of diet pills, and other stimulants to curb their appetite. Some use the diet pills and/or laxatives to purge themselves of the guilt over eating even tiny amounts of food. This puts them into the category of the Bulim-Arexic. Individuals that are also considered Bulimi-Arexic, restrict most of the time and then binge and purge on foods that the typical Anorexic would not consider eating.

Most individuals suffering from these disorders are excessively concerned about their weight, but not all. For some, the eating disorder is a form of self-punishment, for others it is a way of bringing order into an otherwise chaotic life, and for others it is a distraction from painful interpersonal dynamics. For most it starts off as one thing and then takes on a life of its own.

What are the medical complications?