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A bulimia nervosa diagnosis focuses on an analysis of the individual’s bingeing and purging behaviours along with their beliefs and attitudes. Unlike anorexia nervosa, substantial weight loss is not usually a symptom of bulimia nervosa.

A medical doctor will refer to a list of symptoms (or diagnostic criteria) to help them with making a diagnosis for bulimia nervosa.

Health professionals in the United States generally use diagnostic criteria from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), while diagnostic criteria from The World Health Organisation’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) are most commonly used in Europe.

When doctors suspect bulimia, they typically perform a battery of physical tests to assess complications of bulimia.Among the criteria for a diagnosis of bulimia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) are:

1.The eating disorder behavior doesn’t occur during periods of anorexia.
2.Self esteem is overly influenced by body shape and weight.
3.These behaviors occur at least twice a week for at least three months.
4.Repeated episodes of binge eating, including eating an abnormally large amount of food and feeling a lack of control over your eating.

Some people may not meet all of these criteria but still have an eating disorder. As researchers learn more about eating disorders, the diagnostic criteria may evolve and change.

Diagnostic Criteria For Bulimia:

These tests help doctors determine if you meet the criteria for bulimia or if you may have another eating disorder, such as anorexia or binge-eating disorder. To be diagnosed with bulimia, you must meet these criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association.

DSM criteria for bulimia include:

1.These behaviors generally occur at least twice a week for at least three months.

2.Repeated efforts to counteract your bingeing, such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, fasting, or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas or other medications.

3.Your feelings of self-worth are overly influenced by body shape and weight.

4.Repeated episodes of binge eating, including eating an abnormally large amount of food and feeling that you lack control over your eating.

5.You don’t have anorexia nervosa, another eating disorder characterized by extremely restrictive eating behaviors.

Some people may not meet all of these criteria but still have an eating disorder. Don’t try to diagnose yourself get professional help if you have any eating disorder symptoms.

There is no single test that can diagnose bulimia or any other eating disorder. But these illnesses may have a visible effect on your health and eating habits.

If your doctor thinks that you may have an eating disorder, he or she will check you for signs of problems caused by your diet, such as malnutrition or starvation. He or she also may ask questions about your mental well-being. It is common for a treatable mental health problem (such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder) to play a part in an eating disorder.

Bulimia Nervosa Medical Tests and Exams:

1.X-rays, which can show whether your bones have been weakened (osteopenia) by malnutrition.
2.Blood tests to check for signs of malnutrition, such as low potassium levels or other chemical imbalances.
3.A mental health assessment to check for depression or anxiety.
4.Screening questions about your eating habits and how you feel about your health.
5.A physical exam to check your heart, lungs, blood pressure, weight, mouth, skin, and hair for diet problems.
6.Questions about your medical history, including your physical and emotional health, both present and past.