Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 4 September '85 ___!Z

Rx — Health Watch by Dr Robert C Beitman

Dear Dr. Beitman: We're terribly worried about our son. He refuses to admit that he has a problem. He goes on sprees of eating large amounts of food and then gags himself in the bathroom. He thinks we don't notice what he is doing and then comes back to the table for more. Would he be doing this to torment us? Could there be something physically wrong with him that he can't hold his food down? His weight stays pretty much the same. If he really was swallowing everything, he'd be gargantuan. Is this like the problem Jane Fonda Described? A.G. Ocean City. DEAR A.G. THE PROBLEM TO which you are referring is called "bulimarexia." This is defined as the practice of binge eating followed by any of several approaches to eliminating the food: Self-induced vomiting, and/or the abuse of cathartic or diuretic drugs. I most frequently see this situation with young women who have convince themselves that taking large doses of laxatives will somehow prevent them from gaining weight from their eating binges. The typical eating binge runs for several consecutive days with multiple sessions each day. The person usually stops binging because of severe abdominal discomfort, selfinduced vomiting, a demanding social obligation or the need for sleep. Individuals vary as to

whether their next step is a more normal eating pattern or self-imposed starvation with associated weight loss. In bulimarexia the patients are aware of their abnormal eating behaviors, but have lost the ability to allow normal eating. Some may had had $ Million Finalists HACKENSACK - Four Cape May County residents are among 170 finalists in the $1 million "Pick-6 Lotto" Bonus Drawing in the New Jersey Lottery, to be held here Thursday, Sept. 12. They are John Baylock. Court House; Lillian Gaines, Woodbine; Bert T. Reid, Cape May, and John Zugbaum, Villas. In addition to the top prize, the drawing will decide a second cash prize of $50,000, a third prize of $25,000, a fourth prize of $10,000 and fifth through 10th prizes of $2,500 each. Auxiliary Meet WILDWOOD - Mrs. Peggy Borkland, County president of the Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, will be the speaker at the first meeting of the Stone Harbor-Avalon Branch at Urie's here, Thursday, Sept. 12.

past periods of overweight / and desperately fear that ^ their normal behaviors could cause a return. Many seem to me to feel terribly guilty about what they are doing, and the effect it has on others. Some seem very anxious that they might get caught and are depressed about their situation. I LOOK AT bulimarexia like the phobias, for example, fear of getting out of the house. It's not that those affected are crazy. They are fundamentally normal, but have gotten caught in a string of behaviors from which they have become unable to remove themselves. They deserve and need assistance in developing eating behaviors which will enable them to look as they would like. Some need new behaviors which can provide pleasure, so that binge eating recedes as desireable. Others need new ways to handle anger or more positive approaches to getting attention. Giving the person help is not easy. Often all the coaxing in the vtorld won't help. The person has to want to change for themselves. When it is obvious that they want to change, then offers to help may be accepted. Next week we'll discuss the medical complications of bulimarexia. Dr. Beitman is presidentelect of the Sincerely, Dr. Beitman Cape May County Unit of the American Cancer Society of which I Health Watch is a public | education project.

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