Bulimia is a severe form of eating disorder which stems from an abnormal obsession with becoming thin without the ability or inclination to diet and exercise normally. It is normally characterised by periods of binge eating followed by extreme efforts to lose weight. Bulimia sufferers normally fall into two types. Purging is the more well-known form of bulimia, where a person binge eats and then purges themselves of food intake using laxatives or inducing vomiting. Non purging is also a common form of bulimia, where after binge eating the sufferer engages in periods of fasting or extreme exercise to compensate for their food intake.