Bulimia Nervosa: Medical Complications

This chapter provides an organized review of the many potential medical complications encountered in patients with bulimia nervosa. Unlike the complications related to low body weight and starvation/malnutrition that are seen in anorexia nervosa, those in bulimia nervosa are usually secondary to binge eating and/or the method of compensation employed following a massive calorie ingestion. Significant medical complications due to binge eating are rare. The medical complications of laxatives may be divided into acute-use digestive system complications versus chronic-use digestive system complications. Chronic laxative use/abuse has been associated with a variety of medical complications. Pancreatitis may be precipitated by high serum levels of lipids following binge eating and can lead to death. Beyond restricting calories, a variety of weight control efforts may be undertaken by bulimic individuals, as well as others invested in regulating body weight. In an eating-disordered population, self-induced vomiting is second only to calorie restriction as a method of weight control.