Bulimia

bingeing – overeating in a particular pattern purging – trying to reduce the effect of binging by attempting to get calories out of your body focus on food – thinking about food all the time, even when you don’t want to problems with self-esteem focussing on body image when it comes to food and weight


how you feel about your weight if you’re concerned about it if you make yourself vomit regularly if you binge-eat

It’s important to answer these questions honestly. Your GP isn’t trying to judge you or ‘catch you out’. They just need to accurately assess how serious your symptoms are.

Weight and BMI

Your GP may check your weight and calculate your body mass index (BMI).

Blood tests and other tests

Your GP might check your pulse and blood pressure.

Sometimes an (electrocardiogram (ECG) may be needed to check how well your heart is working.

Your GP may do blood tests to check the level of:

fluids in your body chemicals or minerals, like potassium in your blood

Blood tests look for the complications of bulimia. Even if they come back as ‘normal’, your GP may still refer you to a specialist if you’re experiencing bulimia symptoms.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of bulimia are:

bingeing – overeating in a particular pattern purging – trying to reduce the effect of binging by attempting to get calories out of your body focus on food – thinking about food all the time, even when you don’t want to problems with self-esteem focussing on body image when it comes to food and weight