Chinese Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a type of eating disorders characterized by recurrent binge eating and compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, as well as excessive concern about body shape and mass. The patients with bulimia nervosa present with disturbed eating behavior, resulting in electrolyte abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic and endocrine disorders and other physical problems; secondly, the bulimia nervosa patients are often co-morbid with a variety of mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, substance use disorders, which need to be taken seriously. However, bulimia nervosa and even eating disorders cannot be recognized and diagnosed at an early stage in China, which leads to a prolonged course of the disease. Therefore, under the organization of the Eating Disorders Coordination Group of the Psychosomatic Medicine Society of the Chinese Medical Association, in conjunction with the Eating Disorders Research Collaboration Group of the Psychiatric Medicine Society of the Chinese Medical Association, this expert consensus was formulated by 12 experts in the field of psychiatry and evidence-based medicine based on evidence-based medicine, domestic and foreign guidelines and expert consensus and expert experience, in order to improve the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of bulimia nervosa by psychiatric professionals and general practitioners in China.