Jennifer Redford

About the author: Jennifer Redford is a physician assistant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Hospital in Queens.

Bulimia and other eating disorders are not the simple result of the misuse of food. They are complex diseases, manifested in the obsession with food and weight, but rooted in psychological malfunctions. Recent studies show that a history of sexual abuse is associated more with bulimia nervosa than with any other eating disorder. Experience of sexual abuse makes women vulnerable to such behavior as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, irregular sexual behavior, and eating disorders. Because symptoms are often common and vague, medical practitioners should inquire on eating habits, watch for danger signs of bingeing and purging, and carry out routine inquiries on mental health status and possible dysfunctional family environment...