... the condition was established (Gross, 2001: 657). Bulimia shall now be studied in relation to psychological aspects, definitions, prevalence, symptoms, complications, treatment and possible causes. "Bulimia is a syndrome characterised by episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviour such as vomiting and purging, along with other techniques to compensate for over eating" (Banyard, 2001: 88). Bulimia affects 1-2.8% of the population, yet it is estimated that 20% of adolescent girls (2.5 million) exhibit less extreme bulimic behaviours (Graber et al, 1994). However, Morris & Summers (1995) highlight the difficulty in identifying the prevalence of eating disorders due to the diversity in which these disorders are defined and measured in research. The bulimic sufferer periodically consumes huge amounts of food in short time spans, with little control over consumption and with fearful thoughts about their inability to stop. An average bulimia sufferer performs secret binges of 2,500 calories or more within ...

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