Dehydration and weakness are common as well. There begins to be a lack of interest in sex, hypothermia, and constipation. These problems increase as she pursues her quest to become thin. Often times, as she loses weight, she feels that it is not enough. This is due to the fact that her body image is distorted. (Brownell 247-249) .
Women have this desire to be thin as a result of society. Everything around her is pointing to thinness as beauty. In every magazine and movie if one is thin, they will win the heart of the prince. Models have smaller hips, busts, waists, and legs, and if everyone admires them, then maybe if she looked like that, everyone would look at her in awe. They see that woman who are admired and successful, are portrayed as elegant and thin. They believe that to be overweight is a sign of failure. (Dally 14-15) They have an overriding drive to be thin, as they are lead to believe that if they are thin that they will then feel better. (Hawkins II, 28).
Which leads into another eating disorder known as bulimia. Unlike anorexia, this person does not engage in self-starvation, but rather throws up after a meal. Bulimia is an irresistible urge to overeat. Which sometimes alternates with periods of abstinence. After an episode of overeating, this type of person will purge, use self-induced vomiting, or even both. (Hawkins II, 6).
A girl, who is bulimic, will go eating binges, which are usually huge. She will eat as much food as she can possible consume, and then make herself vomit. Sometimes she will use laxatives as well. She does this so that she can undo the high-calorie intake that she has just consumed. The girl will exercise excessively, and sometimes have enemas. (Papalia, 420-421) .
This type of disorder is two to three times more common than anorexia. These girls do not become abnormally thin, but become obsessed with not only their weight, but their shape as well.