Beth, aged 18, has been trying to keep a secret from her family and friends. She is a binge eater. When others are not around, she gorges on cakes, ice cream and other food so fast that she hardly has time to chew. Once she begins there is no stopping until her stomach aches. After her binge, Beth feels disgusted with herself and makes herself vomit, then takes a double dose of laxative. Her life is totally dominated by her obsession with food. Beth is suffering from which disorder?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Bulimia Nervosa
Option (1) Anorexia Nervosa — Incorrect. In anorexia nervosa the person has a distorted body image, sees herself or himself as overweight and often refuses to eat, sometimes starving to death. Beth does the opposite: she eats huge amounts.
Option (2) Body Dysmorphic Disorder — Incorrect. In body dysmorphic disorder a person is preoccupied with an imagined or very slight defect in her or his appearance, for example the shape of the nose, and keeps checking it in the mirror or hiding it. Beth’s problem is not her looks but her eating and purging.
Option (3) Bulimia Nervosa — Correct. In bulimia nervosa the individual may eat excessive amounts of food, then purge the body of food by using medicines such as laxatives or diuretics or by vomiting, and often feels disgusted and ashamed after the binge. Beth binges in secret, feels disgusted with herself, vomits and takes a double dose of laxative.
Option (4) Conduct disorder — Incorrect. Conduct disorder refers to age-inappropriate actions and attitudes that violate family expectations, societal norms and the rights of others, such as aggression, theft and serious rule violations. Beth harms no one but herself.
Note: The disorder in Option (2), ‘body dysmorphic disorder’, is not in the 2023-24 NCERT, which NTA followed in 2024, or in NCERT (2025-26); explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2025-26): “Feeding and Eating Disorders … In anorexia nervosa, the individual has a distorted body image that leads her/ him to see herself/himself as overweight. Often refusing to eat, exercising compulsively and developing unusual habits such as refusing to eat in front of others, the person with anorexia may lose large amounts of weight and even starve herself/himself to death. In bulimia nervosa, the individual may eat excessive amounts of food, then purge her/his body of food by using medicines such as laxatives or diuretics or by vomiting. The person often feels disgusted and ashamed when s/he binges and is relieved of tension and negative emotions after purging.…” |