Bulimia is not as dangerous to health as Anorexia, but it has many unpleasant physical effects including fatigue weakness, constipation, fluid retention, erosion of dental enamel, and sore throat from vomiting. Other dangers are dehydration, loss of potassium, and tearing of the esophagus. Women with diabetes, who have a high rate of Bulimia often, lose weight after an eating binge by reducing their dose of insulin.

Bulimia has been recognized for a much shorter time than Anorexia, and there is less research on its origins. One recent study found that Bulimic women differed from depressed and anxious women in several ways. They were more likely to be overweight, to have overweight parents and to have begun menstruating early.  They were also more likely to say that their parents had high expectations for them with limited contract.
Bulimia is often treated more successfully than Anorexia because Bulimic patients usually want to be treated. Most antidepressant drugs relieve the symptoms, usually more quickly than they relieve depression.

The problem of Bulimia is closely related to the problem of obesity. Since almost all Bulimic women either are or may think they are overweight.

Fortunately this illness can be successfully treated in most cases. "More often Bulimic patients are given behavior therapy. One behavioral treatment for self-induced vomiting is exposure and response prevention. The patient is allowed to eat until they are nauseated and then asked to concentrate on their discomfort and write down their thoughts and feelings. Bathrooms are locked so that they will be ashamed to vomit and have to tolerate their anxiety". If they are living with their families, family therapy may also help. Bulimia has also been associated with personality disorders, especially borderline personality. The symptoms of eating disorders overlap with depression and some of the hormonal neurotransmitter disturbances are also similar.  Anorexia has been described as one way a girl with this kind of personality may respond to the prospect of adult sexuality and independence.

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