Ika Prihatsanti, 37, has experienced weight problems since she was in elementary school. Her love of food has contributed to her fluctuating weight.

And when she was stressed out or upset, she had a sweet tooth.

“When I got upset, I craved cheesecake, or brownies. But then I would feel guilty for eating all those sweets because I would gain weight,” she said.

“So I purged the food by vomiting or taking laxatives.”

The thought of a fast and easy way to lose weight — purging food after she ate or working out excessively — intrigued her.

“I didn’t realize that I was bulimic. But then I felt something was just not right with me. So I looked for help,” Ika said.

After getting counseling from a psychologist and doctor, she gradually lost weight the proper way.

“I now weigh 65 kilograms, almost ideal, but I still sometimes think I’m fat,” said the mother of two.

Sharing a similar concern about weight issues is Endang Hartiningsih, who also turned to food when she was moody.

But unlike Ika, she did nothing after binge eating.

“When I had problems, I ate. And I would feel so relaxed and peaceful afterward. And I thought: Why would I want to purge the foods I enjoyed?” Endang said.

But when she found her weight was giving her problems, she decided to change her eating habits, start exercising properly and control her craving for food on moody days.

Unlike in the United States where eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia are common, many people in Indonesia are not aware of them.

“I have met a lot of patients who complain about their weight, and most of them have eating disorders,” weight control consultant Grace Judio-Kahl said.

Grace said out of 100 people who consulted her in 2013, 64 percent had a predilection for moderate binge eating, 6 percent were severe and 30 percent had little and no eating disorders.

Of the total figure, 32 percent were bulimic or anorexic.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating that involves consuming larger amounts of food during certain periods, then followed by purging.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which one diets excessively or over-exercises to lose weight.

Psychologist Tara Adhisti de Thouars said people could be said to have a binge eating disorder if, among other things, they eat larger than normal portions and faster than most people, eat until their stomach feels bloated or eat a lot of food although they are not hungry.

“Binge eating disorders can lead to obesity because they don’t purge or exercise after eating huge amounts of food,” she said.

Knowing the symptoms of an eating disorder, and admitting it, is the first step to overcoming one, she added.

– JP/Novia D. Rulistia

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