Diabulimia is a growing phenomena; yet, few know much about it. This is dangerous as with any condition that has little public awareness, unnecessary deaths can occur. Diabulimia mostly inflicts young teens who are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It is a condition that has similar characteristics with a body image disorder.
Type 1 diabetics produce little or no insulin. As there is no cure, patients have no choice but to take daily insulin shots in order to survive. Type 1 diabetes can inflict children from a young age and also young teens. Statistics now show that there are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, with a figure that is rising every year.
With a rising pool of young teens with Type 1 diabetes, other problems such as diabulima, emerge. Some young teens got to learn that their body is dependent on insulin, and that insulin is an anabolic or storage hormone. With insulin encouraging fat storage, they get to know that weight gain is a possible consequence with taking insulin shots. Therefore, to avoid putting on weight, these patients start to skip doses and manipulate taking their insulin shots.
In a bulimics, the sufferers often try to manage their weight through vomiting or other forms of behavior so that their bodies do not put on the calories from being eating. Bulimics suffer from a body image disorder and generally have low self esteem and confidence.
For diabulimics, patients wise up to the technique on using insulin shots pretty quickly. They take just enough insulin to avoid going into diabetic ketoacidosis, and narrowly avoiding hospitalization. However, this is potentially very dangerous. If a Type 1 diabetic does not take the required insulin dosages, he or she risks dehydration, fatigue and a breakdown in muscle tissue. Other complications include eye and kidney failure and a high risk of coma, amputation and even death.
Unfortunately, a diabulimia is not recognized as a medical condition, unlike anorexia or bulimia. In fact, not enough is know about it. On the other hand, the American Diabetes Association has long known about insulin omission as a tactic for weight control. An expert recently provided an estimate. He figures that 450,000 Type 1 diabetic women in the United States, one-third of the total, have skipped or shortchanged their insulin to lose weight and are risking a coma and an early death.
Already, tips about weight control via managing insulin shots are being exchanged in online bulletin boards for diabetics and those with eating disorders. Ironically, almost all diabetics need to go through a diabetic management talk with their doctor. And this talk usually includes some advice for meal planning. However, what is overlooked is the need to address patients who also have body image issues. More awareness is warranted in order to help diabulimics prevent ill health or death .
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Suspecting a colleague has bolemia
By: Carla Byrne | 05-08-2008
What do I do if I suspect a colleague is throwing up in the bathroom?
I don't know this person very well, but am concerned for their health.
I need serious help. two years ago i lost a lot of ...
By: Lenniebens | 17-07-2008
I need serious help. two years ago i lost a lot of weight and became anorexia. but i got help from my doctor and a counselor but i never got over the whole eating disorder. but i got to a healthier weight and ate healthy and really restircted my diet. but then after a year (with my parents always on my back and saying to eat more or dont exercise that much) i started to look at food at a comforting. so i gained like 12lbs in a month from binging and i cant stop!! so like yesterday i started to purge. but god i hate how fat i got. i promised my mom i would never purge. :( god idk what to do, i hate food but i love it. im never happy anymore. please help
Friend in a major slump
By: talico33 | 07-04-2008
I have a friend who I believe is falling into a major depression. She's not eating and is way too skinny. She's completely negative about everything about herself and literally sits at home and cries all day. She says she hates her family, and has no friends, and tries to fake being happy so that people will 'tolerate' her. I've been trying to talk to my friend, trying to make her feel better, tell her that I think she is a strong, beautiful, funny and amazing woman. I've been trying to get her to come out with me and my friends so that she can meet new people and start to enjoy herself, but she just wont have any of it. It's starting to get to the point now where I almost don't have the energy for it anymore. What do I do? How do I help my friends get out of this major slump?
Recovery without IP?
By: OhmGirl | 02-03-2008
Do you believe it is possible to recover from a long-term eating disorder without a formal IOP or IP program?
Helping a friend with an eating disorder
By: sarahs | 24-01-2008
My friend is bulimic. She has been for a couple of years now. She was in a program and got help for what they called "exercise bulimia", but it seemed to be only a temporary solution. She has not gotten better at all from what I can see. I love her and want to help her. What can I do without making the situation worse?
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