Which of the following describes bulimia nervosa?

Bulimia nervosa is characterized primarily by recurrent episodes of binge eating, where an individual consumes a significantly larger amount of food in a discrete period, accompanied by a loss of control during the binge. This eating pattern is followed by compensatory behaviors aimed at preventing weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercise. The hallmark of bulimia nervosa is the cyclical nature of bingeing and compensatory behaviors, which distinguishes it from other eating disorders.

This option accurately captures the essence of bulimia nervosa, making it the correct description. The other options reflect different eating disorder criteria: restriction of food intake leading to low body weight indicates anorexia nervosa, excessive exercise without bingeing could describe an aspect of other disorders but not bulimia, and long-term starvation is also consistent with anorexia nervosa rather than bulimia. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment in psychiatric practice.