There is a well-justified complaint out there that I and others pay more attention to anorexia than we do bulimia. For myself, this is influenced by my own experience: my daughter had a mostly restrictive eating disorder and I can't speak from experience in the same way. I don't like to presume that I know what a family experiences around it.
But, there are other reasons. Anorexia is better studied, as the clinical presentation is more uniform. Anorexics are forced into care when symptoms are extreme, while bulimia can be hidden even in life-threatening severity. Bulimia is often experienced with more shame, and family members often buy into or share that reaction. People are less sympathetic to bulimia and don't imbue it with the same romantic analogies and narratives.
We don't seem to be very clear about the differences and similarities between the conditions, either. There is a crossover population, so we know they are related, but the risk factors and pre-existing personality traits differ. Treatment seems to be different, too: there are drug approaches for bulimia, and different psychological therapies.
But, there are other reasons. Anorexia is better studied, as the clinical presentation is more uniform. Anorexics are forced into care when symptoms are extreme, while bulimia can be hidden even in life-threatening severity. Bulimia is often experienced with more shame, and family members often buy into or share that reaction. People are less sympathetic to bulimia and don't imbue it with the same romantic analogies and narratives.
We don't seem to be very clear about the differences and similarities between the conditions, either. There is a crossover population, so we know they are related, but the risk factors and pre-existing personality traits differ. Treatment seems to be different, too: there are drug approaches for bulimia, and different psychological therapies.
We need to understand bulimia better. This is interesting: High-fat, High-sugar Foods Alter Brain Receptors