How are Laxatives are used by anorexics?
I’m writing an english paper about the difference between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. I came accross laxatives i’m just not sure how they are used and what they help you in. I googled it but it’s better for me if someone who knows well explains it better.
Thank You.
you can eat what you want and as much as you want and right after you are finished eating take a laxative and it will make you poo out all the food you ate and your body won’t absorb any of the calories BUT doing this on a regular basis can lead to anal ,colon , and stomach cancer. I had a dear friend who took laxatives after she ate and she died of these cancers.
They take laxatives to get all the food/waste out of their systems to make their stomachs appear flatter. The problem is that they can get addicted to the laxatives. They can also cause very painfrul cramping.
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they are prob used by bulimics instead of throwing up
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well you know how anorexics like barf when they eat anything taking laxatives is just another way to barf
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my brain
They take them and it makes them poop which makes them lose weight its kinda like throwing up except you dont have to force yourself to do it.
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to pass food quicker through the system so it won’t get digested all that much
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They use it to flush the food and waste out of their system, which in turn supposedly makes you lose weight or at least get rid of the food that you’ve already ate. Which is what they think, anyway.
By the time the food digests, you’ve already absorbed the calories, so its pretty pointless. Dangerous because your body can get addicted to the laxatives and then you’ll never be able to go to the bathroom on your own. I would imagine it would do some damage to your organs as well.
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Anorexics use laxatives to rid their body of any food or anything inside it which they consider "bad". Many anorexics feel disgusted with themselves for eating and can’t stand the idea of food actually inside of them because they are so scared of gaining weight, they feel better once they know their system is flushed.
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Laxatives: Used to combat constipation (and sometimes overused, producing diarrhea). The word 뱇axative?comes from the Latin 뱇axare?meaning 뱓o open, widen, extend, release.?
Laxatives are used to relieve occasional constipation. There are currently numerous and various kinds of laxatives and are widely available at any local drug store or pharmacy. Sadly laxatives are frequently advertised with little or no mention of short or long term side effects laxatives can cause. Many people take them without sufficient information. Prolonged use of laxatives, especially stimulant laxatives such as cascara, senna (sennosides) and bisacodyl, intensifies and perpetuates the condition for which they are used. The bowel becomes atonic and dependency is established. Overuse may cause electrolyte disturbances with symptoms of vomiting and muscle weakness. When it comes to the issue of eating disorders, laxative abuse seems to take on a whole new meaning. If you are suffering from an eating disorder and abusing laxatives or know someone who is, I encourage to stay and read this page.
Laxative Abuse & Eating Disorders
The overuse of laxatives is dangerous. People with eating disorders use laxatives as a way of ridding their body of unwanted calories and promoting weight loss. They also abuse laxatives because they are constipated as the small amounts of food they allow themselves does not provide enough to stimulate regular bowel movements. Those with eating disorder may take one laxative, two or even the entire box for one dosage. Many individuals have spent hours in the bathroom suffering the ill effects of laxatives. The effects can be painful and even lead to death. Laxatives artificially stimulate the large bowel to empty and this is after the food and calories have been absorbed into the body. Those who take laxatives are only encouraging their body to lose water and nothing else. Weight loss may be noticed but this is temporary as the weight will return as the body rehydrates itself of water loss. The small intestine where food is digested and where nutrients and calories are absorbed cannot be stimulated by laxatives or even enemas. Once the water loss has taken place, it can lead the body to retain water leaving the person feeling even more bloating. In some cases, individuals take even more laxatives as a way to relieve the water retention and bloating they feel. In summary, Eating disorder sufferers frequently abuse laxatives believing these medications will cause weight loss. This is not true as by the time a laxative takes effect all the caloric content of food has been absorbed. All laxatives do is reduce fluid levels within the body by inducing severe diarrhea. The misuse of laxatives and enemas can cause serious and sometimes irreversible damage.
Laxative abuse can also be a warning sign that a loved is suffering from an eating disorder.
The Dangers
There are many short and long term effects that laxatives can have on the body. Below are just a few but this list is not limited.
Upset Of Your Electrolyte Balance: Electrolytes are minerals like potassium and sodium that are dissolved in the blood and other body fluids. They must be present in very specific amounts for proper functioning of nerves and muscles, including the heart muscle. If laxatives and enemas upset this balance, it can result in tremors, muscle cramps and spasms. In some cases cardiac arrest (heart attack). The heart stops and unless the person receives immediate
emergency medical treatment the individual will die. Vomiting can also be a culprit in upsetting this balance.
Dehydration: Laxatives and enemas remove required fluids from the body resulting in mild or severe dehydration. Dehydration can lead to weakness, blurry vision, fainting spells, tremors, kidney damage and in some cases can result in death. Severe cases of dehydration will require medical treatment as simply drinking fluid may not hydrate cells and tissues quickly
enough. It is important to get medical attention immediately to prevent organ damage or death.
Stretched Colon Or Colon Infection: There is a protective mucus that lines the colon. Laxatives and enemas strip away this protective mucus leaving the colon vulnerable to infections. Enemas can stretch the colon and over time it can lose muscle tone resulting in the colon not being able to generate muscle contractions necessary to move fecal matter out of the body.
Laxative Dependency: Laxatives irritate intestinal nerve endings and after prolonged use of laxatives, the nerve endings may no longer respond to stimulation. The individual must now take larger amounts of laxatives to produce bowel movements. The individual has become "laxative dependent" and without them may not have any bowel movements at all.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Laxative abusers may have more problems with irritable bowel syndrome , rectal pain and gas. Users may also be at risk for bowel tumors which may be benign
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http://www.geocities.com/gina_rlp/lax.html
i think you’d be considered bulemic if you used laxatives.
after they eat, they just take them so they lose all the food before its gone through their system. it really screws up your digestive system, too.
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Some people think that if food isn’t in their system for very long, their body wont "Absorb" the calories of what they have eaten.
I’m sure there are other reasons too though
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you can eat what you want and as much as you want and right after you are finished eating take a laxative and it will make you poo out all the food you ate and your body won’t absorb any of the calories BUT doing this on a regular basis can lead to anal ,colon , and stomach cancer. I had a dear friend who took laxatives after she ate and she died of these cancers.
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