Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa (usually referred to just as bulimia) is an eating disorder. The term bulimia nervosa means 'the nervous hunger of an ox'. The condition was first recognised as an eating disorder in 1979.

People with bulimia tend to alternate between eating excessive amounts of food (bingeing), and making themselves sick, or using laxatives(purging), in order to maintain a chosen weight. This is usually done in secret.

People with bulimia purge themselves because they feel guilty about the binge eating, but the bingeing is a compulsive act that they feel they cannot control.

More Info:
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=68

Includes links to - Symptoms, Causes and more.

Our own Princess Diana suffered from this illness and our former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is reported to have confessed to having suffered from bulimia for over 20 years.

There may be some cynicism about John Prescott's motivations for
revealing his battle with bulimia, but the consensus is the gruff former deputy prime minister may have done reticent fellow countrymen a favour when it comes to their health.

So are men really suffering in silence, too embarrassed to come forward about a range of disorders deemed to be "female"? By coming clean about his struggle with what has been described as a "girl's disease", Mr Prescott has been applauded for drawing attention to the fact that some one in ten of those with eating disorders are male.

His taboo-breaking revelation was "very important", according to men's health specialist Dr Mark Hamilton. "A lot of people still see this as a disease of women and it is heartening to see John breaking this down."

Full Story -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7358527.stm