The Differences between Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

Who can have an eating disorder? Most think it is only women but in fact it can be anyone from any culture. It is mainly seen in females but as time goes by men have also suffered from these disorders. There are two main eating disorders Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia. Both disorders are unhealthy and a cause for concern. Anorexia Nervosa is eating too little and Bulimia is eating too much.
Anorexia Nervosa is an unhealthy disorder. The person has a distorted perception of their body, they think they are overweight and in order to have control they eat very little or nothing at all. They also over exercise or even when eating in front of people they don’t actually eat, they just move the food around the plate. Some of the physical aspects of Anorexia Nervosa are malnutrition, one looks too thin, and the hair starts to become brittle and falls out easily. They also tend to be sick all of the time because of a weakened immune system. Not only does anorexia affect the physical appearance of someone it also causes problems within the body. The brain chemistry changes for example, a person could have fainting spells, bad memory, and be sad, moody and irritable. The heart beats at a slower rate; the person has fluttering of the heart, and could end up with heart failure. The muscles become weak, the joints become swollen. Bone loss, fractures and osteoporosis can occur with Anorexia. The kidneys can contain kidney stones and the person could have kidney failure. The body fluids are low as well, such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Anorexia causes problems with the intestines by having constipation and bloating. The hormones are also messed up. Periods stop, the person has trouble growing and has trouble getting pregnant. If one does...

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...ization, therapy, controlled diet, and medications.
Although Anorexia and Bulimia have things in common they do have different aspects. They affect the bodies differently, both are unhealthy and a cry for help. I wouldn’t say one is worse than the other, they both are very dangerous and cause harm to the body. Even though the two disorders are different, their processes are the same.

Works Cited

Fairburn, G, and D Garner. "The Diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa." International Journal of Eating Disorders. 5.3 (1986): 403-419. Print.
Fairburn, G, and Z Cooper. "Thinking Afresh about the Classification of Eating Disorders." International Journal of Eating Disorders. (2007): 107-110. Print. http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/bulimia-nervosa.html http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/anorexia-nervosa.html