Diabulimia, two disorders in one: diabetics with bulimia

Diabulimia

The weight gain that occurs by initial use of insulin in people with diabetes has caused some adolescent patients decide not to use it and turn to purgativos methods in order to not gain weight, is the case of a condition known as diabulimia.

Diabetics with bulimia: two conditions in one

Disorders of eating more frequent and studied and which depart most of new disorders are anorexia and bulimia. In this last, people are characterized by be a glut which is followed by a behavior of compensation, which is called purge.
The bleeding is usually performed with fast food, vomiting, excessive physical exercise practice, the use of non-prescription laxatives or voluntary restraints of recommended doses of insulin, all in order to lose weight or not win new. It is the way in which diabetes and bulimia are and give rise to this new disorder, diabulimia, which is even more complex to treat.
As they confirm recent studies which have tried to find out why the diabulimia among people with diabetes occurs, some young girls with diabetes have proven to be more than twice as likely to develop an eating disorder than women of the same age without diabetes. Why? Rosa Elena Yáñez, specialist in nutrition, metabolism and diabetes, says that among young people, especially among the female sex, weight gain or body change that occurs with ripening can produce dissatisfaction and concern, "this would increase if the new diabetic is vulnerable or already has principles of some other disorder", notes Yáñez.

Problems arising from the diabulimia

According to published essay ' The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial', the control of diabetes and its complications, the fact that the use of insulin is associated with weight gain, especially at the beginning of therapy, may generate a dissatisfaction with the body in the adolescent.
If the diabetic teenager discovers that you lose weight with the omission or reduction of the dose of insulin (diabulimia) "can be fatal", says the specialist in diabetes. And is that, says, "put aside the insulin would lead to the emergence of dehydration, Diabetic Ketoacidosis (when the body cannot use the sugar as a source of energy and, instead, uses body fat) and the early presence of diabetic complications (failures in the heart, in the retina, liver...)". Which leads to have lower quality of life, more hospital admissions and an increased risk of mortality when compared with women who follow their treatment as normal.

The control is positive

This difficult stage can aggravate If there is no effective nutritional advice. And it is that sometimes unreported due to teenage diabetic possible weight gain resulting from the application of insulin and, above all, how to control it. Yanez advises to "achieve control glucose feeding, since otherwise they could increase feelings of failure, impotence and stress", which could lead to episodes of ravenous ingestion of foods or restricting them, worsening the symptoms of conduct disorder.
Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of appearing the diabulimia, diabetics must be nutritionally advise to learn to control food intake in order to achieve their goals glucemicas and a normal weight for their age and physical condition.
In addition, "have the right levels of glucose in the blood reduces the risk of appearing anxious and compulsive behaviors of an eating disorder", recommends Rosa Elena. Thus, the teenager knows how to regulate the amount of insulin you need and feel better with your treatment and your body.
Article contributed for educational purposes
Health and Wellness