Am I too fat? Bulimia as an epidemic
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Date
2003Author
Kribs, Christopher
Gonzalez, Beverly
Huerta-Sanchez, Emilia
Ortiz-Nieves, Angela
Vazquez-Alvarez, Terannie
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Show full item recordAbstract
For at least the past ten years, eating disorders have had a major impact in the
physical and mental health of women, particularly young women. Anorexia and bulimia
nervosa are closely linked eating disorders. Anorexia often precedes bulimia. However,
there are about 2 million women in college that have been exclusively bulimic. In this
article, we focus on the role of college-peer pressure on the dynamics of anorexia-free
bulimia. The model looks at bulimia as a progressive disease and explores the impact of
intervention (treatment) at two stages of disease progression. The impact of relapse (a
common occurrence among bulimics) is taken into account. Analysis indicates that the
disorder cannot be wiped out in this population without a shift in cultural pressures;
control strategies should include early detection and treatment, as well as preventative
education campaigns.