Bulimia is an obsessive preoccupation with body weight and shape, with regular episodes of ingesting large amounts of food. Most bulimics (around 85% - 90%) are women who are affected by factors such as socio‐cultural pressures to be thin. Episodes of binge eating are followed by induced vomiting, initially by placing fingers in the throat, but eventually most patients learn to vomit reflexively. Secrecy about the eating-vomiting sequence is a characteristic of a person suffering from bulimia which means that family and friends are often unaware of the condition. Weight may be normal, but there is often a history of anorexia nervosa. Furthermore there may be a high rate of alcohol and drug abuse. Depression and anxiety disorders tend to be more severe than in anorexia nervosa and hysterical behavior may occur. The benefits of psychiatric intervention are marginal.