h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Health - Bulimia Nervosa - A1113012
Author: Slartibartfast - U204775

I think it's personally well written, informing the reader yet not making it long and all dragged out, boring the reader to death, but keeping it concise. Just the right length I think to get the main idea along with some interesting tag-along facts.

In your Multi-Impulsive section, you talk about sexual behaviour as if it were a symptom, which puzzles me. Is there something wrong or deviant about the sex, or is it just a lot less likely among virgins?

You use the word stealing, which in my brain always has a direct object. Is shoplifting or theft or kleptomania meant here?

The sentence with upper teeth and menstrual cycle reads very 'vagina dentata' to me. Perhaps this is a run-on sentence that got joined up in your editing?

THE ANSWERS TO SEA CHANGE'S QUESTIONS/COMMENTS

The thing with the sex is that it is not a symptom it really along with drugs, alcohol, stealing etc., it is just something that commonly happens before the person becomes bulimic. There are people that steal and don't have bulimia. There are people with alcohol problems and drug problems and aren't bulimics. It's just that many of bulimia cases, the bulimic has had those problems before they became bulimic. Mabye this will explain it better: You know those people who are slut-like or prostitute-like, (or that whole sort of public image of those types of people), they are commonly found to be alcoholics or illegeal drug users or perscription drug abusers. Just sort of that whole messed up, not normal, your regualr Joe's, life. The sentence afterwards says "Usually there is a high level of disturbance in the family." So its usually one of those "My mom's only job is working at the run-down K-mart and dad's in jail for stealing needles and been found using heorin." type families. But there is also the regular family life style family with a bulimic daughter. "Mom's a teacher, dad's a businessman" type life-style. Those people just want to lose weight and turn the wrong way.

To go back to your question about stealing : It could be all three of those or just one. Just depends on the victim.

Regarding your last comment it was just a run-in sentence that I didn't catch and edit. Thank you for catching it. And thank you for commenting this is my first entry.

I have to admit I'm uncomfortable with the implication that sexual promiscutity, (which is I think what you're getting at) it in it's self a symptom. Sexual behaviour for the wrong reasons, ie out of low self esteem, can be a problem, but surely the problem is the low self esteem.

Judging sexaul behaviour as a symptom of mental illness depends on the culture and sub culture of the patient and the doctor. For instance what might consisitute normal sex in the gay communtiy would not be reguarded as normal sex in a Fundamentalist Christian community.

Also i think it would be easier to read if there was a clear line between each paragraph, as in the convention in print media.

"diuretics1, enemas2"

The numbers after those two words suggest to me that this has been copied and pasted from somewhere else - it's the same thing that happens to me when I'm commenting in PR on someone's entry and I copy a piece of text from it which has a footnote attached. Is that the case here Slartibartfast?


Scout

those are just some end notes or whatever you'd call them. Can't really think of the term right now. I guess they didn't get copied. I originally did it in Microsoft Word. Just typed it there and copied it over.

Quote :
"But there is also the regular family life style family with a bulimic daughter. "Mom's a teacher, dad's a businessman" type life-style. Those people just want to lose weight and turn the wrong way."

Hmmm.
I thought it's the emotional attatchments or lack of in a family. A "regular style family" can be very cold and distance and more into the appearances of social pressures. Self worth can be low in either family. All the problems mentioned can come out of this lack of esteem and lack of a clear identity. Reaching for a sense of control at any cost destroys.

Thank you for putting it that way. I think that was what I was trying to convey but couldn't put exactly how I wanted it. Because in many "Normal" Family Life Styles there is major bond btw. each memeber. Many, many times in the "Messed-up" Family Life there arent those bonds.

Eating disorders are difficult to deal with and anyone who tries to quantify them are putting themselves on the line. I'm glad you've put this forward but may I suggest a couple of points. Firstly, eating disorders often start when someone's life is out of control and their weight is often one of the few things they can control - hence the desire to control their weight. Also I felt the article lacked warmth, maybe a few changes could instil a little sympathy rather than the idea of being a passive observer, or is that what you want?

"Firstly, eating disorders often start when someone's life is out of control and their weight is often one of the few things they can control - " as the third man says.

I have always believed that to be the prime point. I was taught that at least.

To want to deny the physical-sexual changes by female adolescents bodies is fairly common in the disorders. It can feel like betrayl to some girls to have their body changing.

As with alcohol and other self medicating ways, it is to seek some measure of control.

I have always been curious if some of the altered consciousness that must occompany the anorexia(starvation) does plays a part in the addictive cycle & altering brain chemicals. It is an important part of the consciouness of many religious ceremonies, shamans, vision quest. and in controlling prisoners of war.

oops begining to babble.

Like I said in my reply to Sea Change's comments, many bulimic's famliy life is really messed up, if you will. There are many problems with each family member many atime. But like I said, it could also happen to someone in a "normal" family whose parents are very decent people but maybe kind of distant to their kids. Something might happen at school or something and the parents aren't really there for them, likely creating a low self-esteem. And what you said about having their weight to be in control of is another good point that I didn't bring up. Thank you.

-Slartibartfast

When I wrote this I really didn't want to take sides. I didn't want this piece to come off as that I act codly towards bulimics or I discriminate or something against bulimics. I just wanted to present the facts to the audience and let them decide for themselves. I, personally, do have much sympathy for them. I mean just look at our society. Every woman has to be thin. Every man has to be a buff, lean, guy. Ads always show thin, beautiful, charming, women. So the media tell us "Hey- you better be thin...cause everyone else is that's having a great life". But that's just my personal opinion. I don't care if someones fat, thin, short, tall, white, black, or whatever. So hopefully I answered your question.

You came acrossed as you wished then, you did not look uncompassionate.

Whoops, I was not fast enough. Bulimia is an interesting subject and I was hoping to save the article by cluing the author in.

er, what's the matter with this entry please? slarti, you say it's your own work, yet the entry is hidden

umm. unsubscribed from almost everything too !?

Urm... if the entry is hidden why is it still in Peer Review?

The italics have been alerted (twice ) it will move eventually.