Psychology Research Paper

Studying the effect of bulimia in children

Tyler Mangum

Intro to Psychology
PSYC 1133

Miss Toni Ford

5 October 2020
Definition of Disorder

To begin to understand this disorder, we must know that Psychological disorders are

defined as “a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors”

(Introduction to Psychology, 1997). Bulimia or bulimia nervosa is when one has a negative body

image of themselves. In a study done by Boston’s Children’s Hospital, studies show that many

times people with this disorder will go through stages where they will “overeat” and then go

through “purging (self-induced vomiting), misuse of laxatives…, fasting, and excessive exercise

to control weight.” (Boston’s Children’s Hospital, 2020) Many times children do this to prevent

gaining weight. Yet, they also struggle with being very hungry and then overeating in one sitting.

This eating disorder is usually paired with other conditions such as anorexia or overeating.

Symptomology

There are many different ways that this disorder can begin to show up in children.

According to Katherine Kam, in her article, Eating Disorders in Children and Teens, she states

that “Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood.” Yet, she shows

that many times it can develop in childhood as well. She also stated that “Females are much

more vulnerable. Only an estimated 5% to 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male”

(Kam, 2007). Doctors aren’t sure why bulimia affects females more than males, but studies have

shown that due to bullying and body images sent forth by society. The Center for Change, an

organization that focuses on women’s confidence, states that “63% of female participants

identified weight as the key factor in determining how they felt about themselves”. (The Center

for Change, 2017)

How is the disorder diagnosed?

 According to the DSM-5, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a

standard of mental disorders that helps doctors see when they should diagnose someone with a

mental illness. Walden Behavioral Care studied the DSM-5 and wrote an article Bulimia

Diagnosis. According to that article, doctors use the following points to help diagnose patients:

“Recurrent episodes of binge eating… characterized by both of the following: eating in a discrete

period of time, an amount of food that is … larger than what most people would eat” and “lack

of control over eating during the episode.” Not only that, but also “self-evaluation…influenced

by body shape and weight” and “recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent

weight gain (Self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications, fasting,

or excessive exercise). Doctors also use “physical exam(s), lab tests, psychological evaluations”

and “other studies” to diagnose patients. (Walden Behavior Care, 2020)

The Etiology of Bulimia

To understand the etiology of bulimia, we must know how it fits into the biopsychosocial

model of psychology. This model breaks down the biology, psychological, and social aspects of

a subject and how those three areas affect study items. First, biology does play a factor in

bulimia. Research has shown that “neurotransmitters in the brain are involved in eating

disorders.” These transmitters affect eating disorders through serotonin. Studies show that

“serotonin affects binging behavior” (Gulf Bend Center, 2020) associated with bulimia.

Psychological aspects can also play into reasons why patients struggle with bulimia.

Studies have shown that many who struggle with bulimia also struggle with “negative body

image” and “poor self-esteem” (Eating Disorder Hope, 2020). This causes people to think they

are not good enough. This causes them to feel as if they do not need to eat and then go into an

eating spree due to being hungry.

 Socially, many who struggle with bulimia show that they have a “history of abuse or

trauma” or “stressful transitions or life changes” (Eating Disorder Hope, 2020). Many people

who have been verbally abused have been shown to have bulimia. Many times, the abuse can

come from a family member or even a parent. Bulimia is also repent in “professions or activities

that focus on appearance/performance” (Eating Disorder Hope, 2020) due to the fact that many

feel as if they have to fit into a certain image to maintain working in that industry.

Bulimia from a Developmental Perspective

Bulimia affects individuals every day. Many do not understand the full toll that it can

take on a person until they truly step into their shoes. Alsana, an online company that focuses on

giving psychological help online to those with different disorders, allowed an individual who

went by “Katie” to remain anonymous, give a testimony of what it is like to live with this

disorder. Katie writes, “While I’m running, I feel so hungry. I start fantasizing about a big

breakfast while I’m running… I disgust myself. I am gross and disgusting… I allow myself to

stop by Starbucks to get a black coffee. That’s all I’m going to get. But when I get there, I see the

cake pops. On an impulse I ask for a box of cake pops…I start bingeing in the car on the way

home…I can’t stop. I eat until I feel physically ill and then I purge.” (Margherita Mascolo,

2020). Many who struggle with bulimia will do this daily and even many times in one day. This

continues to affect their self-esteem and body image.

Not only that, but this disorder can also affect the family of an individual. In Katie’s story

she talks about experiences where family members or friends will ask to “go out to dinner”, but

Katie says that “there is no way I am letting myself do that.” (Margherita Mascolo, 2020) Many

family members and friends feel like there is no way they can help individuals with bulimia

unfortunately. On top of that, many do not even know that they have people who struggle with
bulimia in their lives. As in Katie’s story, there was no one in her life who knew how she felt or

what she was going through. Isolation can make individuals feel even worse about themselves.

Individuals with bulimia are prone to many other issues that are not related to their eating

disorder. Feelings of insecurity also affects individuals in their educational development. Many

individuals struggle with depression due to bulimia and the related body image issues. Staying

motivated in work and school can be difficult.

Treatment Options

Bulimia can be very difficult to treat, and many doctors say that most need several types

of treatments. Mayo Clinic wrote an article on bulimia nervosa. In which, they reference a few

different ways bulimia can be treated. One treatment option is Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is

basically “talk therapy or psychological counseling”. They recommend three types of

psychotherapy including “Cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based treatment, and

interpersonal psychotherapy”. In Cognitive behavioral therapy, individuals discuss “negative

beliefs and behaviors” and learn how to replace them with “healthy positive ones”. Family-based

treatment includes the mindset of changing beliefs and behaviors while adding in loved ones to

help support an individual with bulimia. In family-based treatment, parents are encouraged to

“intervene” with their “teenager’s unhealthy eating behaviors” so that teens can “regain control

over his or her eating” (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

Not only this, but Mayo also recommends some medications that can help “reduce the

symptoms of bulimia when used along with psychotherapy”. These medications allow

individuals to feel more control over their diet and help fight the impulse to overeat. (Mayo

Clinic, 2018)
 Mayo makes it very plain though that “symptoms don’t go away entirely” (Mayo Clinic,

2018). They state that with some seasons in life, they have found that individuals will have a

relapse in their treatment. If this relapse is not managed well, individuals can fall back into old

habits.

Steps parents can take to help their child cope with bulimia

As stated before, there are many treatment options that show successful recovery with

bulimia. Before parents can help though, they must watch for signs of bulimia in their children.

Overeating is the easiest sign parents can watch for in their children. The most popular treatment

option though is the family-based treatment. This allows families to come together as a unit and

support the individual struggling with bulimia. With family-based treatment, individuals have

multiple people they can ask for help when dealing with emotions such as the urge to overeat.

Consistent mealtimes are another way to help individuals fight the urge to overeat because they

know when their next meal will be. Consistent mealtimes also allow families to monitor when

individuals are eating and not eating.

Short-Term prognosis of bulimia

Bulimia unfortunately comes with many short-term effects. The largest one of these is

fatigue. With constant purging, the body becomes very fatigued. The overeating does not help

with this either. The body takes energy to begin to process the food that was eaten but is taken

away by a purge before the body can receive the nutrients. This causes extreme fatigue. Other

short-term effects include “severe dehydration, constipation, and irregular heart rhythms known

as arrhythmias” (Smith, 2018) What is worse, once all of these symptoms combine, they can lead

to long term issues that are much more difficult to treat.

Long-Term Prognosis
 Many individuals begin to struggle with long-term effects after 10 years of bulimia.

These long-term effects are much worse than the short-term. Some of the long-term effects

include “diabetes, brittle bones,” and “reproductive difficulties” (Smith, 2018). Diabetes is the

most difficult to treat out of these. Not only is it difficult to treat, but it also affects many

different parts of the body and requires a severe diet change. Without a diet change and constant

upkeep, diabetes can be deadly. The reproductive downside of bulimia also affects those trying

to have children. Many times, individuals do not see the underlying effects of bulimia on their

body due to a twisted mental state.

Conclusion

In conclusion, bulimia is an eating disorder that affects much more than just an

individual’s eating habits. Bulimia affects the mental and psychological states of a person and

can cause depression, anxiety, and diabetes. The effected mental and social states effect

individuals in their daily life and can prevent them from being socially active, as well as prevent

them from pursing new careers or relationships. As seen by Katie’s story which was discussed

previously, bulimia is real, and many individuals feel very helpless if they are experiencing

symptoms of bulimia. Bulimia should be taken very seriously and individuals or family members

of an individual who think that they could be experiencing symptoms of bulimia are highly

encouraged to seek help from a health care provider.

 References

Boston's Children's Hospital, B. (2020). Bulimia Nervosa: Boston Children's Hospital. Retrieved
October 05, 2020, from
http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/b/bulimia-nervosa

The Center for Change, C. (2017, March 15). Negative Body Image - Understanding and
Overcoming. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://centerforchange.com/battling-
bodies-understanding-overcoming-negative-body-images/

Eating Disorder Hope, E. (2020, September 30). About Bulimia: Symptoms, Signs, Causes &
Articles For Treatment Help. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/bulimia

Gulf Bend Center, G. (2020). Gulf Bend MHMR Center. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from
https://www.gulfbend.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc

Kam, K. (2007, April 14). Eating Disorders in Children and Teens. Retrieved October 05, 2020,
from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/features/eating-disorders-
children-teens

Lloyd, P., & Mayes, A. (1999). Introduction to psychology. London, UK: HarperCollins.

Margherita Mascolo, M. (2020, July 23). What is Bulimia? A Day in the Life of Katie. Retrieved
October 05, 2020, from https://www.alsana.com/what-is-bulimia-a-day-in-the-life-of-katie/

Mayo Clinic, E. (2018, May 10). Bulimia nervosa. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bulimia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-
20353621

Smith, K. (2018, November 25). The Long-Term Effects of Bulimia Nervosa. Retrieved October
05, 2020, from https://www.psycom.net/long-term-effects-of-bulimia/

Walden Behavior Care, W. (2020, June 10). Bulimia Nervosa Diagnosis, DSM-5 Criteria,
Diagnostic Tests. Retrieved October 05, 2020, from
https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/what-we-treat/bulimia/bulimia-diagnosis/