Bulimia nervosa (BN) – colloquially called binge eating disorder – (synonyms: Bulimia; Bulimia; ICD-10-GM F50.2: Bulimia nervosa, ICD-10-GM F50.3: Atypical bulimia nervosa) belongs to the psychogenic eating disorders. It involves excessive consumption of food during regularly recurring binge eating episodes.
There is an irresistible urge for often high-calorie food. Periods of uncontrolled food intake alternate with rigorous fasting, vomiting, and laxative and/or diuretic abuse.
According to the DSM-5, binge eating episodes occur on average at least once a week over a three-month period. The severity of BN is graded based on the compensatory measures used each week. Bulimia nervosa can be divided into two categories:
- “Purging” subtype – in this case, immediately after the binge eating episode, sufferers try to lose the calories they have just ingested by vomiting, laxative use or other methods
- “Non-purging” subtype – in this variant is trying to eliminate the consequences of the eating attack by fasting or excessive physical activity.
Sex ratio: females to males is 10:1.Frequency peak: the disorder usually affects young normal-weight women between the ages of 20 and 30, with the frequency peak around the age of 19. Affected women become very preoccupied with their appearance and their bodies.The prevalence (disease incidence) of bulimia nervosa is between 2-5% in young women. However, the disease is often kept secret, which is why one must assume a high number of unreported cases. The prevalence of different variants of the disorder, such as those with occasional binge eating, is between 5-10% percent in young women. The prevalence of bulimia nervosa has remained the same in recent years after a rapid increase in the 1970s.Course and prognosis:The prognosis of bulimia nervosa is much more favorable compared to anorexia nervosa (anorexia). 50% of patients are cured by therapy. Recurrences (recurrence of the disease) occur frequently in times of emotional stress. Only a few patients later develop anorexia as a consequence of the disease. Patients often become dependent on alcohol and drugs in the further course of the disease. Personality disorders occur frequently in many patients.
According to a long-term study, most patients recover from their eating disorder in adulthood: 22 years since the start of the study, the number of women free of symptoms of bulimia has increased significantly: 68.2 percent of patients have recovered from the eating disorder, i.e. have been symptom-free for at least one year.
The mortality rate (death rate) is 1-3%.
