Diabulimia is not exactly an eating disorder but it has similar characteristics to a bulimia eating disorder.
Diabulimia comes from the combination of the terms "diabetes" and "bulimia". It is a recent finding of young patients diagnosed with a Type I diabetic condition.
In Type 1 diabetes, the patient produces little or no insulin, and hence need to take insulin shots every day in order to survive. Type 1 diabetes can inflict children from a young age and young adults. However, some young patients soon learn more about their condition.; specifically that their body is dependent on insulin, and that insulin is an anabolic or storage hormone. With insulin encouraging fat storage, they realise that weight gain is a possible consequence with taking insulin shots.
In order to avoid putting on weight, these patients would often skip doses and manipulate taking their insulin shots. Thus, the term "diabulimia" arises.
Can you see the similarity of
diabulmia with a bulimic eating disorder condition? Bulimic eating disorder sufferers often undertake compensatory behavior such as vomitting the food that they just ate, in an attempt to manage any possible weight gain.
For diabulimics, they wise up to the technique on using insulin shots pretty quickly. They take just enough insulin to avoid going into diabetic ketoacidosis, and narrowly avoiding hospitalization.
Diabulimia is not currently recognised as a medical condition. It is a recent phenomena. However, the American Diabetes Association has long known about insulin omission as a tactic for weight control.
Consequences of manipulating insulin for weight purposes can be several. Type 1 diabetics can suffer from dehydration, fatigue and a breakdown in muscle tissue. Other complications include eye and kidney failure.
