ABSTRACT
The term "bulimia" means "eating like an ox". Most people with a bulimic disorder see binges as the central and most unpleasant aspect of their eating difficulties.
Andrew Andrew, a 22-year-old student, described his binges as follows: "Once I've started, I stuff myself till I am completely full and bloated. I worry sometimes that my stomach might burst. I can hardly breathe. I eat very quickly, and I barely notice what I put into my mouth. I don't chew the food. The worst thing about it is this feeling ofbeing totally out of control, ofhaving to go on eating, it takes me over. I cannot stop until I'm absolutely stuffed." People vary greatly in the kinds of food they eat during a binge and
in the amount consumed. We define a binge as any large amount offood that is eaten rapidly in an out-of-control fashion. Mild bouts of overeating are part of many people's lives and are not unhealthy.
