Which of the following is a condition in which a person alternates between periods of intense eating and starvation?

The condition where a person alternates between periods of intense eating and starvation is known as bulimarexia. This term describes a combination of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa behaviors, where individuals may binge eat followed by extreme measures to prevent weight gain, such as starvation or excessive exercise.

Bulimarexia reflects the cycle of bingeing, followed by a compensatory behavior, which encapsulates the struggle individuals face with their body image and eating habits. The blending of these disorders highlights the complexities in eating behaviors that involve both purging and restrictive dieting, which can significantly impact an individual's physical and mental health.

This understanding distinguishes bulimarexia from other eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, where excessive restriction is a defining feature without the binge eating episodes; or bulimia nervosa, which involves cycles of bingeing and purging but does not typically include prolonged starvation as a central behavior. Compulsive eating disorder, while it involves episodes of overeating, does not necessarily include the drastic alternation with starvation, which is a hallmark of bulimarexia.