Bulimia, also known as an eating disorder, involves secretive episodes of excessive eating, or binge-eating, followed by inappropriate weight control practices such as self-induced vomiting (purging), misuse of laxatives and diuretics, or excessive exercise. This uncontrollable hunger often alternates with periods of restraint. Similar to anorexia, bulimia is primarily considered a psychological eating disorder. It extends beyond mere dieting issues and the cycle of binging and purging can rapidly become an obsession akin to a substance addiction. While bulimia is generally viewed as having psychological and sociocultural roots, not everyone is prone to developing it.A significant body of research now indicates that bulimia has a strong genetic component, with its familial prevalence largely attributed to the combined effects of several genes. One gene linked to bulimia susceptibility is located on chromosome 10p (the short arm of chromosome 10), and another potential gene may be found on chromosome 14.
