Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss. Anorexic patients have an intense fear of being fat, and they continue to diet despite being very thin. The extreme weight loss can lead to missed menstrual periods, fainting, hair loss, life-threatening irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, bone loss, and exhaustion. Bulimia nervosa is a disorder that involves binge eating and then purging. These cycles lead to intense shame and guilt.
Bulimic patients can be of normal weight, but they feel very out of control.
The medical consequences of bulimia include dehydration, bowel problems, kidney and liver problems, and electrolyte imbalances that can lead to life-threatening irregular heartbeat. Going away to college is a particularly stressful time in any person's life. This increased stress appears to not uncommonly lead to the kinds of behavior that we associate with eating disorders. Even though eating disorders are very common, they often go undetected and untreated. If you think you might have an eating disorder, talk to your doctor to find out what is right for you.