Anorexia or bulimia: what are the main differences

Anorexia and bulimia are two disorders that involve a complicated relationship with food and nutrition, but which are quite different and, therefore, must be correctly diagnosed in order to receive the most appropriate treatment.

While in anorexia the person does not eat for fear of gaining weight and despite the thinness installed, in bulimia the person eats everything he wishes, but then causes vomiting due to guilt or remorse he feels, for fear of gaining weight. In addition, in bulimia, the person is usually underweight or slightly overweight, which is not the case with anorexia.

Below you can see some of the more specific characteristics of each of these disorders:

1. Anorexia: main characteristics

To identify whether it is anorexia, in addition to being thin, one must be aware of the appearance of behaviors such as:

The person is constantly fat, even when he is not overweight or when he is underweight; Refuse to eat or express a constant fear of gaining weight; Eat very little and always have little or no appetite; Always be on a diet or count all the calories in food; Regularly practice physical activity with the sole intention of losing weight.

Those who suffer from this disease have a tendency to try to hide the problem, and so they will try to hide that they do not eat, sometimes pretending to eat food or avoiding family lunches or dinners with friends, for example.

In a more advanced state this disease ends up having its impact on the person's body and metabolism, as malnutrition sets in, causing symptoms such as:

Absence of menstruation; Constipation; Abdominal pain; Difficulty tolerating the cold; Lack of energy and tiredness; Swelling and heart problems.

In addition to these symptoms, others may appear, and in these more severe cases, treatment may have to be carried out in a hospital or clinic specialized in eating disorders, as hospitalization is necessary for there to be a 24-hour medical follow-up.

2. Bulimia: main characteristics

Bulimia is already a little different from anorexia, and the person almost always has normal weight or is slightly above the "ideal" weight, so it is necessary to be aware of the appearance of behaviors such as:

Desire to lose weight, even when you don't need to; Exaggerated desire to eat at some meals; Exaggerated practice of physical exercise with the intention of losing weight; Excessive food intake; Constant need to always go to the bathroom after eating; Regular use of laxative and diuretic remedies; Weight loss despite appearing to eat a lot; Feelings of anguish, guilt, regret, fear and shame after overeating.

Whoever has this disease always has a tendency to try to hide the problem and that is why he often eats everything he remembers hiding, often not being able to control himself.

When this disease has lasted for some time, it ends up causing a severe impact on the body, causing symptoms such as:

Calluses and scars on the hands caused by the act of constantly provoking vomiting with the fingers; Chipped teeth, with serrated and corroded appearance; Swollen cheeks as the salivary glands may become swollen or stunted; Irregular menstruation; Feeling weak or dizzy; Frequent abdominal pain and inflammation in the gastrointestinal system; Constant inflammation in the throat; Swollen belly, hands and feet; Constipation.

In addition to these symptoms, there may always be others, and in more severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary so that the person can be monitored and treated 24 hours a day.

Anorexia or Bulimia: how to differentiate

To distinguish between these two diseases, it is necessary to focus on their main differences, because although they may look quite different they can be easily confused. Thus, the main differences between these diseases include:

Anorexia nervosa	Nervous bulimia
Stop eating and refuse to eat	Continues to eat, most of the time compulsively and in exaggeration
Severe weight loss	Weight loss just slightly above normal or normal
Great distortion of your own body image, seeing something that is not in accordance with reality	It makes less distortion of your body image, seeing it very similar to reality
It starts very often in adolescence	It often starts in adulthood, around 20 years old
Constant denial of hunger	There is hunger and it is referred
Usually affects more introverted people	Usually affects more outgoing people
You don't see that you have a problem and think your weight and behavior are normal	Their behavior causes shame, fear and guilt
Absence of sexual activity	There is sexual activity, although it can be reduced
Absence of menstruation	Irregular menstruation
Personality often obsessive, depressive and anxious	Often has excessive and exaggerated emotions, mood swings, fear of abandonment and impulsive behaviors

Both Anorexia and Bulimia, as they are eating disorders, always require specialized medical monitoring, requiring therapy sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist to cure the disorder and with a nutritionist to treat the malnutrition that sets in.

These are diseases that emotionally weaken the sick person and that can take months or years to heal, so it is very important to support and understand family and friends throughout the process, and especially affect teenagers and young women.