Anorexia vs Bulimia: Difference and Comparison

The human body is prone to many diseases, some caused by bacterial, some viral and some fungal infections. But do you know how a person eats can also make him fall sick?

No wonder eating disorders can seriously damage the body. These conditions can hamper a physique more than other mental health problems.

Anorexia and Bulimia can cause severe body changes like weight loss, weight gain, etc. However, with both these diseases, People want to lose weight, but their eating ways cause an eating disorder.

Key Takeaways

1. Anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders that involve distorted perceptions of body weight and shape.
2. Anorexia is characterized by restrictive eating, excessive exercise, and a fear of gaining weight.
3. Bulimia is characterized by binge eating followed by purging through vomiting, laxatives, or excessive exercise.

Anorexia vs Bulimia

The difference between Anorexia and Bulimia lies in the fact that in Anorexia, people eat very less or stop eating altogether. People suffering from Anorexia want to be as lean as possible. In Bulimia, people eat a lot or start overeating. People suffering from Anorexia want to reach an ideal weight, but wrong food habits do the opposite.

Therefore, we should remember that both Anorexia and Bulimia are diseases caused by eating improperly. Although these diseases can happen to both males and females, it is observed that women are prone to this disease far more than men.          

In this guide, we cover all the essential details to understand the difference between Anorexia and Bulimia so that you are aware of this eating disorder and can check your eating habits.

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Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Anorexia	Bulimia
Definition	Anorexia is an eating disorder where people eat less or stop eating.	Bulimia is an eating disorder where people eat more or even do overeating
Eating Pattern	Eat very less	Overeats
Control on Eating	There is complete control over overeating	There is no control over eating
Side Effects	Low BP, Cardiac Arrest, Constipation, etc.	Strep throat, decay in the tooth cavity, Dehydration, etc.
Age of occurrence	The late 30s or early adults	The late 20s or teens
Mortality	Approx. 4% died due to this disease	Not more than 1% died due to this disease

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What is Anorexia?

Anorexia is an eating disorder where people eat less or stop eating.

We can check the severity of Anorexia by calculating the height and weight of a person or simply saying the BMI index.

As a person’s BMI decreases, there is a high possibility of severe Anorexia.

People want to get leaner, and with that tendency, they start taking little food or, in some cases, stop eating. This is when Anorexia takes place.

Following are some symptoms of Anorexia known;

1. It hampers self-esteem
2. People don’t eat or skip meals
3. Disconnecting from Social communities or friend circle
4. Not able to focus on work
5. Getting too conscious about food and being leaner.

Anorexia creates a very unusual relationship with how a person consumes food. There is complete control over how a person consumes food, a routine followed by how to take meals, which sometimes makes a person confused that he is eating more, and hence they stop taking food.

Therefore, it is equally important also to know that Anorexia as an eating disorder can have several side effects like heart issues, low blood pressure, constipation, etc.

Thus, it is required to understand that a consulting doctor should appropriately treat Anorexia.

 

What is Bulimia?

Bulimia is an eating disorder where people eat more or even do overeating

If you want to detect whether a person is suffering from Bulimia, check the weight and height of the person and measure the BMI. If the BMI increases, there is a higher possibility of Bulimia.

Although people want to get leaner, they think they must reach an ideal weight.

They break from eating for some time but cannot stop the urge and hence start taking more food than before or even, in some cases, they start overeating. This is when Bulimia takes place.

Following are some symptoms of Bulimia known;

1. Body shape changes and poor body structure.
2. Having too much focus on food.
3. Having food even after regular meals.
4. Very less self-esteem
5. The feeling urge of an empty stomach.

Bulimia creates a very unusual relationship with how a person consumes food.

There is no control over how a person consumes food, and no routine is followed on how to take meals, which sometimes makes a person confused that he is eating less, and hence they start taking more food than average.

Therefore, it is equally important also to know that Bulimia as an eating disorder can have several side effects like dehydration, decay in the tooth cavity, shortness of breath, etc.

Thus, it is required to understand that Bulimia should be treated adequately by a consulting doctor.

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Main Differences Between Anorexia and Bulimia

Although both these diseases, Anorexia and Bulimia, are caused by eating disorders, both these diseases happen to get lean.

However, Anorexia and Bulimia have many differences concerning eating habits, side effects, and other symptoms.

1. In Anorexia, people consume less food, but in Bulimia, people consume more food.
2. In Anorexia, there can be some control over food, but in Bulimia, no control over a diet is observed.
3. There are higher chances of death in Anorexia, but in Bulimia, very fewer deaths occur.

References

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/492394
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2601682/
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089085670966531X