Difference Between Anorexia And Bulimia
Anorexia and bulimia are both eating disorders. In most cases, they could portray very similar symptoms. However, food-related behaviors are different. Anorexia patients reduce their food intake and consequently lose weight. Meanwhile, bulimia patients eat so much but still lose weight either by purging or vomiting after eating.
Anorexia
Anorexia is a health condition whereby someone suffers distorted image due to low food intake. This disorder can be caused by depression, anxiety, and emotional trauma. As a result, the victim lacks the appetite for food or starts dieting in a very non-healthy manner. A person with anorexia will develop the habit of skipping meals or eating little food with low calories.
Likewise, there are specific symptoms a person with anorexia will exhibit. Such symptoms are; severe weight loss, insomnia, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and constipation. The person may also suffer hair loss, amenorrhea and bluish fingers.
Bulimia
Bulimia is an eating disorder where someone who apparently eats adequately still looses weight in a non healthy way, mainly by purging or other means. As a result of this, bulimic people develop unhealthy feeding habits.
Bulimia can be categorized into two categories. They are Purging Bulimia and the Non-purging Bulimia. Symptoms of Bulimia are irregular weight, dehydration, busted blood vessels, scars and sores from induced vomiting. Likewise, behavioral changes such as visiting toilets after a meal and eating abnormally are noticeable in such people.
| Anorexia | Bulimia | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Eating disorder that often results from emotional problems that create, in the ill person, an image of distorted body. | Eating disorder where a patient purge or loses what they eat as a result of their distorted body image. |
| Similarities | Anorexia patients exhibit distorted body image. Symptoms such as weakness, weight loss, and dizziness are inevitable. | Bulimia patients also suffer from distorted body image. They often suffer from weakness, weight loss, and dizziness. |
| Differences | It is caused by depression, anxiety, and emotional imbalance. | It involves purging after a meal or excessive exercise, in some cases fasting is a common practice. |
Venn Diagram: Anorexia vs bulimia
