DR MAX PEMBERTON: I have treated THOUSANDS of bulimia patients and many, like John Prescott, have experienced terrible shame. But there is another type of bulimia that YOU may have and you don’t even know it…

When I heard of the death of former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott last week, the news instantly brought back his memory.

But unlike the others, I wasn’t thinking about his two Jags or the time he punched a protester.

Instead, I remembered how she had revealed that she had had an eating disorder for many years. In her 2008 autobiography Pulling No Punch, she admitted to succumbing to bulimia as a way of coping with the stress of serving in Labour’s then shadow cabinet in the 1980s.

He wrote about the shame and embarrassment he felt as a man suffering from an eating disorder, widely perceived as a ‘women’s disease’.

He hid his problem because he feared he would be seen as unstable and too risky to become a minister.

Despite his courage in publicly announcing his battles, his revelation was met with confusion and even ridicule. How could a middle-aged man contract what was then perceived as a teenage girl’s disease? So how come he was overweight? It showed how many misconceptions there are about eating disorders. That was 16 years ago and I’m not sure much has changed.

I ran an eating disorder clinic and directed a treatment group for people with bulimia, and I saw thousands of patients with the condition over the years. One of the most heartbreaking things I learned during this time is that most people with bulimia wait more than a decade before seeking help. This is because, like Lord Prescott, they feel a mixture of shame, guilt and embarrassment.

Many people with eating disorders have crushingly low self-esteem and self-worth, making them feel underserved and unworthy of help. It may also take some bulimics a long time to realize they have the condition. As strange as it sounds, bulimia often sneaks up on them and becomes a normal part of their lives. They often don’t realize their behavior is dangerous and an expression of mental illness until someone mentions it.

Bulimia is a cycle of behavior that has three basic components. The first is overeating. This often develops as a way to cope with extreme stress or distress or to regulate emotions. People can consume very large amounts (several thousand calories) in one sitting. A person may momentarily feel better because he or she feels emotionally relieved while binge drinking.

John Prescott wrote about his bulimia in his 2008 autobiography Pulling No Punches.

The bulimic person typically overcomes feelings of shame and disgust, leading to the second part, purification.

They often make themselves vomit to get rid of the food they eat. Depending on the length of the binge and the amount eaten, some of the food will be absorbed, which explains why some bulimics become overweight.

The final component is that they will then punish themselves by restricting their food intake by eating little or nothing at all. Food deprivation causes blood sugar levels to drop, and often they are so hungry the next day that it triggers a binge and the whole awful cycle begins again.

Bulimia carries very serious physical health consequences, such as causing potentially fatal changes in chemicals in the body, such as low potassium and damage to the digestive tract, throat, and teeth. It is also very dangerous psychologically when patients fail to develop strategies to cope with the problems in their lives that cause them to overeat.

Most people will be aware of the type of bulimia I have just outlined. However, there is a second type that is more insidious and harder to detect; Those who suffer from this condition often do not believe it is an eating disorder, at least not initially. This is called the ‘non-purging subtype’ and does not involve vomiting but doing something else to cancel out the food they have over-consumed. For example, they may exercise excessively or obsessively count calories instead of purging.

People who exercise excessively convince themselves that they are healthy. They are often stunned when you explain that they have a form of bulimia. Problems often do not come to the doctor’s attention until the person is unable to engage in compensatory ‘punishment’ behavior for some reason.

I have seen many patients over the years who joined running or cycling clubs but became injured as they got older, meaning they could no longer exercise as much to compensate for their overeating. This situation caused them a distress that is difficult to describe. Many attempted suicide as well as anxiety.

I also saw several seemingly healthy and passionate young men. But when something triggered them, they would spiral out of control and turn to foods they considered ‘unhealthy’, such as chips, cakes, biscuits and chocolate.

They then paid their penance by deciding to punish exercise, which burned off all the extra calories they consumed.

It was truly terrifying to hear some of the stories. One man only sought help after collapsing at the gym because he had been on the treadmill for six hours and was worried staff should be banned from using it.

The good news for people with bulimia, regardless of its type, is that specialist treatment has very good results.

Seeing people tormented by bulimia heal through psychotherapy was one of the reasons I loved working in the eating disorder field.

It is important for people with eating disorders to understand that they have nothing to be embarrassed or embarrassed about; they are sick and deserve our sympathy, support and help.

Zoe has the right to put family first

Zoe Ball is quitting hosting BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show

Zoe Ball has announced that she is leaving the Radio 2 show to spend more time with her family. Many were quick to point out that his son was 23 and his daughter was 14. I guess they don’t need their mothers? I beg to differ.

Especially her daughter is at a very critical age. Yes, most 14-year-olds don’t want their moms running around restricting their style. But anyone who knows teenagers knows that they exist in that strange in-between age that oscillates between adulthood and childishness.

There are times when they seem very young and need support or a hug from mom or dad. As young people take their tentative steps into the world, they need to know that someone is still there and looking out for them. Even if they act like it’s not the case.

Cambridge Dictionary chose the word ‘manifest’ as the word of the year. This term expresses the idea that you can make something happen just by wanting it hard enough; This is a huge Gen Z trend on social media.

Of course, this is completely unscientific. It’s an example of what psychologists call ‘magical thinking’: the belief that wishing for something or performing a ritual will make it happen.

The reason I hate the idea of ​​manifesting is because it encourages people to be passive participants in their own lives. It denies you any sense of agency or control over what happens to you; It is nothing more than blowing out the candles and making a wish.

But we have so much control over the direction of our lives and getting what we want in life. Instead of hoping and hoping you’ll get what you want, go out and do something. Qualify, network, educate yourself, volunteer, gain experience.

Yes, it’s much harder than manifesting, but it’s also much more likely to work.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a review into the deployment of the 3,500 Physician Assistants (or assistants, as they should be called) currently working in the NHS. I hope it will stipulate that PAs must inform patients that they are not doctors and therefore have professional restrictions.

Dr Max prescribes…

Feel Better, Live More

A patient recommended this podcast to me and I was hooked!

Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a GP and takes a thoughtful, compassionate and holistic view of health, including mental health, and is full of practical advice, information and tips.