Does laxative abuse control body weight? a comparative study of purging and vomiting bulimics doi

Laxative abuse is common in individuals who obsessively need to lose weight or who have an eating disorder. It is a widespread belief that laxative abuse controls body weight; this is false. It instead causes the body to lose water and essential minerals; a condition that can be life threatening. Excessive use of laxative or laxative abuse can lead to hypokalemia which is a deficiency of of potassium ions in the blood.