Princess Diana Bulimia

Bulimia is an eating disorder that many people suffer from. Princess Diana was one of the most well-known people to have suffered from bulimia (Farrar). Princess Diana described bulimia as “You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don’t think you’re worthy or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or five times a day, some do it more and it gives you a feeling of comfort...It’s like having a pair of arms around you, but it’s temporary. Then you’re disgusted at the bloatedness of your stomach, and then you bring it up again.” (Boddington). Bulimia is a very hard disease to overcome and to cope with.

To clarify, bulimia comes from a Latin word meaning “hunger of an ox” (Cotter, 18). A simple definition of bulimia is binge eating and purging. Bulimics have a huge appetite, but they do not gain weight from constantly overeating (binge eating) because they purge by vomiting or misusing laxatives (18-19). Bulimia can be a very secret disease.

In fact, bulimics often lie about eating, eat in secret, consume large amounts, and may ingest up to 8,000 calories in one sitting (Cotter, 19). They live in fear of someone discovering their illness and go to great lengths to hide their
Bingeing and purging can disrupt a female’s menstrual cycle (cause irregular menstrual cycle) (“Bulimia Nervosa”). It also can lead to serious medical complications such as dehydration, irregular heartbeat, and kidney damage (Cotter, 21). It can cause erosion of tooth enamel, broken blood vessels in the eyes, and cracked and dry lips. Bulimia can tear the esophagus lining which can cause a person to vomit blood. Laxative users can suffer from electrolyte imbalances and colon damage (Cotter, 63). Additionally, prolonged bingeing and purging can cause unusual dental problems, swollen cheeks or glands, heartburn, or bloating (“Bulimia