Why do people with eating disorders misuse laxatives?
People with eating disorders frequently complain about constipation and bloating. This is because their bowel has slowed down as a result of a poor supply of food and fluid. So taking laxatives does not address the real cause of their constipation. People may observe a decrease in their weight after taking laxatives to induce diarrhoea. However, this weight loss is entirely the loss of body fluid. There is no loss of body mass tissue, fat or calories.
