Biology

Importance of a balanced diet
A balanced diet and physical work out has a major role in attaining long healthy life. The increasing awareness of effects of foods on health has made us diet conscious and left us confused in the land of nutrition. We want to satisfy our palate and eat healthy as well. This often restricts our food choices.
The major nutrients for the body are protein,carbohydrate, and fat. These provide the body with energy for various functions like beating of heart, activity of muscles and brain. In addition the body needs vitamins, and minerals for it’s optimal functioning.
To get a balanced diet and nutrition it is important to choose foods from all food groups (cereals, pulses, poultry and meat, milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables share the bais ofimportance of diet plan). Eating a varied diet increases the chances that all your nutrient needs will be met, hence it is very important to take a balance diet. (164)

Bulimia
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging, or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed (purging), typically byvomiting, taking a laxative or diuretic, and/or excessive exercise.
Symptoms
These cycles often involve rapid and out-of-control eating, which may stop when the bulimic is interrupted by another person or the stomach hurts from over-extension, followed by self-induced vomiting or other forms of purging. This cycle may be repeated several times a week or, in more serious cases, several times aday.
Signs
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* fixation on number of calories consumed
* fixation on and extreme consciousness of weight
* low self-esteem
* low blood pressure
* irregular menstrual cycle
* constant trips to the bathroom
* depression

Treatment
The treatment of this complex disorder is very critical, and thus the treatment providers should have expertise in eating disordersand adolescence health. There are two main types of treatment given to those suffering with bulimia nervosa; psychopharmacological and psychosocial treatments.
Psychotherapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which involves teaching clients to challenge automatic thoughts and engage in behavioral experiments (for example, in session eating of "forbidden foods") has demonstrated efficacy bothwith and without concurrent antidepressant medication.
Pharmacological treatment
Some researchers have hypothesized a relationship to mood disorders and clinical trials have been conducted with tricyclic antidepressants, MAO inhibitors, mianserin, fluoxetine, lithium carbonate, nomifensine, trazodone, and bupropion. (245)
Anorexia
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by immoderatefood restriction and irrational fear of gaining weight, as well as a distorted body self-perception.

Symptoms:
*
* Refusal to maintain a normal body mass index for their age
* Obvious, rapid, dramatic weight loss
* Obsession with calories and fat content of food
* Preoccupation with food, recipes, or cooking; may cook elaborate dinners for others, but not eat the foodthemselves
* Dieting despite being thin or dangerously underweight
* Rituals: cuts food into tiny pieces; refuses to eat around others; hides or discards food
* May engage in frequent, strenuous exercise
* Depression: may frequently be in a sad, lethargic state
* Solitude: may avoid friends and family; becomes withdrawn and secretive
* Swollen joints
* Abdominal distension* Hair loss or thinning
* Fatigue
* Rapid mood swings

Signs
Hypokalaemia, a drop in the level of Potassium in the blood, is a sign of anorexia nervosa. A significant drop in potassium can cause abnormal heart rhythms, constipation, fatigue, muscle damage and paralysis.

Treatment for anorexia nervosa tries to address three main areas.
* Restoring the person to a healthy...