Purging disorder

Purging disorder is an eating disorder, classed as a form of other specified feeding or eating disorder. The DSM-5 characterises it as self-induced vomiting, or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas to force matter out of the body. Its lifetime prevalence has been estimated at between 1.1 and 5.3 percent. It differs from bulimia nervosa because people with purging disorder do not eat a large amount of food, a binge, before purging. Signs include trips to the bathroom straight after meals, frequent laxative use and preoccupation with appearance and weight. It is studied far less than other eating disorders, so little is known about its risk factors, and it disproportionately affects women. Some researchers argue it should count as a distinct disorder separate from bulimia nervosa.