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If you are bulimic you may be engaged with laxative abuse as a way of purging. Some laxative abusers report a desire to feel empty and thin, and use laxatives in order to achieve feelings of weight loss or as a way of coping with guilt associated with binging.
Many people take laxatives excessively because they believe that they can quickly remove food from their body before the calories are absorbed. This is considered a form of purging.
Laxatives and diuretics are actually totally ineffective for weight loss and only remove food that your body has already processed.
You might feel lighter after using them; however this is mainly water weight and a loss of vital minerals as a result. Abusing laxatives and diuretics is very damaging; it can lead to all sorts of problems.
Laxative abuse can cause serious health problems. It can not only damage your natural bowel function, but excessive amounts of laxatives can drain your body of water, vitamins, and minerals, this loss can cause an imbalance in the body's electrolyte system which can lead to heart failure and death.
Important Note
If you are or have been abusing laxatives you are best to consult your doctor for a health check up and advice.
Laxatives are normally used when someone has been constipated for a long time and they need to have a bowel movement.
Laxatives artificially stimulate the nerve endings in the colon (large bowel) which is situated at the end of your digestive tract. This artificial stimulation act the same way as your body’s natural stimulation to tell you to empty your bowel.
If food has reached your colon this means it has already visited your stomach, past into your small intestine, had all calories and nutrients withdrawn and made way to the last destination which is your colon. When it gets to your colon the only thing left is indigestible fiber and non-nutritive waste material. Only this indigestible fiber and non-nutritive waste material will be released.
Laxative abuse occurs when a person overuses laxatives over a continual use of time to achieve a bowel movement.
People who abuse laxatives include:
• People who do not having enough fiber or water in their diets
• People who believe that they have to have at least one bowel movement per day.
• People who have bulimia or anorexia
• People who take medicine that cause constipation
A diuretic works the same way, except they elevates the rate of urination. This fluid loss is recognized by people who abuse them as weight loss, however as soon as fluids are taken again you simply replace the water that was lost.
Diuretics can be marketed by the diet industry in forms of diet teas. The industry makes a fortune because people get a false allusion they are losing weight, when in fact it is just water weight.
People who suffer from bulimia are more likely to abuse laxatives. Laxative abuse generally happens after a period of food binging. After a binge the person feels guilty for eating, sometimes very large quantities of food, they therefore attempt to empty the body of food and calories and try to do so by taking laxatives.
Some with bulimia abuse laxatives and diuretics because they have a desire to feel empty and thin, therefore use laxatives in order to achieve feelings of weight loss or as a way of coping with guilt associated with binging.
By taking laxatives or diuretics many believe they will be able to miraculously flush out the food in their body before calories can been absorbed. They abuse laxatives for weight control and are unaware that the abuse of laxatives will not contribute towards weight loss.
This abuse can lead to habit, because the person starts relaying on more and more laxatives each time to generate bowel movement. If you think you have a laxative problem please see your general practitioner.
Many bulimics who suffer from laxative abuse may try to avoid re-hydration in order to avoid gaining water weight. By failing to re-hydrate can lead to serious health complications, including permanent damage to vital organs, and in some cases death.
The laxative myth is the belief that food and calories can be flushed out the body before calories are consumed.
However our digestive system and laxatives do not work in this manner, it is not possible to achieve permanent weight loss through the consumption of laxatives.
In most cases, by the time laxatives are absorbed and processed by the large intestine most calories and foods have already been absorbed. The weight that is lost is ‘water’ and important nutrients such as electrolytes, minerals and indigestible fiber. These nutrients are what most of us refer to as water weight.
Therefore laxatives and Diuretics do not help you lose weight. Laxatives only make you visit the toilet.
People believe they have lost weight when they take laxatives or diuretics; this weight loss is simply water loss.
Laxatives and diuretics removes a lot of water from your body during the process, people get misled by this water loss. However within 48 hours of using a laxative the body retains water to make up for all that it has lost. This water retention can leave you bloated.
Just like a dry sponge before submerging it in the bath. Your body does the same; it soaks back the water it needs to stay alive.
Overtime laxatives can create constipation which in turn can lead to laxative dependency. When you abuse laxatives your body tissues can begin to dry out and the muscles in your bowel can become very weak from the lack of use the delicate nerve lining your body’s colon can also become damaged, and long term abusers may eventually have colon failure.
Therefore the health risks associated with using laxatives and diuretics are very high.
As well as laxatives removing a lot of water from your body it also causes a loss in essential minerals like potassium, sodium and magnesium. A drop in these minerals can result in an electrolyte imbalance. This imbalance is harmful and can lead to muscle pain, spasm, irregular heartbeat even death.
Laxative abuse can eventually cause your colon stop functioning, you can damage the gastrointestinal tract and cause weakening and softening of your bones. Abuse can also lead to bowel tumors and kidney problems.
Generally you will become unwell as your immune system starts to shut down and you will be susceptible to infection.
Sometimes drinking fluid may not be able to hydrate calls and tissues fast enough, when this happens it can cause organ damage and even death.
Coming off laxatives can be challenging especially if someone has got into a habit of taking.
Many people have several fears with coming off laxatives; these fears are irrational thoughts such as the need to feel empty, or an irrational need to get rid of anxiety being held in the gut.
If you are abusing them for some time then start by cutting down gradually.
You might want to set yourself a weekly goal of reducing the amount you are taking.
like you are getting close to achieving your goal.
Knowing that you will look better, your skin and complexion will be healthier and you will feel a lot better is good motivation.
Most people who get information that laxatives do not work for weight loss stop quickly. Why waste your time and health on something that is totally useless. Also most people, even chronic abusers who stick with their doctor's recommendations manage to resume their ability for natural body functioning again.
If you have had a serious laxative problem please only follow professional medical advice.
You may experience a small level of bloating while the body is rebalancing itself from the laxative abuse but long term people report they are less bloated after giving up the Laxatives.
In the mean time make sure you:
Laxative abuse is a common problem with many, including those with bulimia. The common misconception is that laxatives lead to weight loss and can eliminate all food from the body.
Laxatives can also create irrational thoughts and fears therefore can make giving them up difficult.
It should be broadcasted that laxative and diuretics do not lead to weight loss and can not flush food from the body. They only lead to a temporary water loss that will be replaced when the body is re-hydrated.
Long term laxative abuse can be very damaging and cause serious health problems including a failed colon, heart attacks and death.
Anyone who abuses laxatives should consult their doctor as continual laxative abuse can lead to permanent damage of your bowels.