Question

Which one of the following is not the characteristic symptom of patient suffering from bulimia nervosa?

• A. Frequent fluctuations in weight.
• B. Purging after meals.
• C. Eating a large amount of food in short time.
• D. Dieting even when one is very thin.

Hint:

While patients with Anorexia are usually visibly emaciated and underweight, those with Bulimia are often of normal weight or slightly overweight, making Bulimia much harder for family and friends to detect.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding Bulimia Nervosa:
Bulimia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of behaviors:

• Binge Eating: Consuming unusually large quantities of food in a short period, accompanied by a feeling of a complete loss of control.
• Compensatory Purging: Attempting to prevent weight gain from the binge by purging (self-induced vomiting, misusing laxatives or diuretics), fasting, or exercising excessively.

Step 2: Analyzing the Symptoms of Bulimia vs. Anorexia:
Let's evaluate the options to identify which is not characteristic of Bulimia:

• Weight Fluctuations (A): Common in Bulimia. Because of the binge-purge cycle, patients often maintain a relatively normal body weight, but experience frequent minor weight fluctuations.
• Purging (B) and Bingeing (C): These are the two primary diagnostic criteria for Bulimia Nervosa.
• Dieting even when very thin (D): This is a primary diagnostic symptom of Anorexia Nervosa, where patients have an intense fear of gaining weight and a severely distorted body image, starving themselves even when they are dangerously underweight.

Step 3: Conclusion:
Therefore, option (D) describes Anorexia, not Bulimia, making it the correct answer.