Bulimia is the secret practice of eating, usually to excess and then either vomiting or taking bowel purging substances to ensure evacuation the next day or sooner. Bulimics tend to believe they are in control of their body and follow strict rituals of elimination.

The bulimic may be well informed and know the fat, sugar, salt content and calories in an amazing amount of foods. They may use all kinds of vitamins and supplements and are often experts on metabolism, digestion and disorders of the gut. They are a virtual resource of health related information.

Bulimics and anorexics are extreme perfectionists and are not happy with their appearance. They are terrified of what might happen to their bodies if they stop their practice, they feel it is out of their control to discontinue their habit. Bulimics believe they are too smart to be caught. They are the chameleons of the nutrition world, as they appear to be like all of us, but in fact are very different.

Bulimics and anorexics need isolation to carry out their starving, binging and purging, as it is not a socially accepted activity. Those that are affected most by bulimia or anorexia are individuals in a situation, which is dependent on looking good which includes actors, models, dancers and sometimes high profile public personalities and often, teenagers.

To break these habits it is important to support the individual with encouragement and an environment of supervision, creating self confidence and acceptance.