BULIMIA NERVOSA 307.51 (F50.2)IntroductionIndividuals diagnosed with bulimia nervosa engage in frequent binge eating, followed by expulsion of food, typically by inducing vomiting, but also through exercise and use of laxative agents, diuretics, and enemas (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Binge eating episodes are often caused by a negative perception of one's body image, which is temporarily alleviated by the binge eating episode. Because the individual with bulimia nervosa is overly anxious about body weight, eliminating food is seen as a necessity. This is in contrast to binge eating disorder, which does not involve purging food after excessive food consumption (Bulik et al., 2012). Furthermore, although bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are similar in some respects, the two are in no way identical eating disorders. Patients with anorexia nervosa are generally underweight (Steinglass et al., 2013), while patients with bulimia nervosa are not necessarily underweight and often have a normal body weight (Bulik et al., 2012). There is no defined age of onset of anorexia nervosa. bulimia nervosa, but is typically observed in adolescent males and females (Smink et al., 2012). Bulimia nervosa is slightly more prevalent in females than in males, with 1.3% of females suffering from bulimia nervosa (in a national sample) and 0.5% of males (Swanson et al., 2011). Symptoms Bulimia nervosa is associated with various symptoms, detailed by the American Psychiatric Association (2013) and peer-reviewed literature. Three crucial characteristics that define bulimia nervosa have been articulated (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is, firstly, the repeated indulgence in binge eating; secondly, using compensatory measures…… middle of paper……-414.Steinglass, JE, Sysko, R., Glasofer, D., Albano, AM, Simpson HB, Walsh BT (2011). Rationale for applying exposure and response prevention to the treatment of anorexia nervosa. The International Journal of Eating Disorders, 44(2), 134-141. Swanson, S. A., Crow, S. J., Le Grange, D., Swendsen, J., Merikangas, K. R. (2011). Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in adolescents. Results from the national comorbidity survey replicating the adolescent supplement. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 714-723.Trace, S.E., Baker, J.H., Peñas-Lledó, E., Bulik, C.M. (2013). The genetics of eating disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 589-620.Wilson, G. T., & Zandberg, L. J. (2012). Cognitive-behavioral guided self-help for eating disorders: effectiveness and scalability. Clinical psychology review, 32(4), 343-357.