Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa - often called simply “anorexia” - is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. People with anorexia have an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body weight. To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. People with anorexia may also control calorie intake by vomiting after eating, by misusing laxatives, diet aids, diuretics or enemas, or by exercising excessively.

People with anorexia generally have an abnormally low body weight. Anorexia can cause serious complications including bone weakening, increased risk of infection, dangerous heart rhythms, severe dehydration, malnutrition, seizures, thyroid gland problems, and tooth decay.

Approximately 90-95% of people with anorexia nervosa are girls and women. Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to mid-adolescence and it is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women.

Anorexia is an unhealthy way to try to cope with emotional problems, and it can be very difficult to overcome. Treatment is available to help people with anorexia gain a better self-image and return to healthier eating habits.

The exact causes of anorexia nervosa are not known. Many factors may be involved, including biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Social attitudes that promote very thin body types may also be involved.

Risk factors for anorexia include:

• Being female
• Having a relative with anorexia nervosa
• Undergoing stressful life changes or transitions
• Being worried about, or paying more attention to, body weight and shape
• Having an anxiety disorder as a child
• Having a negative self-image
• Having eating problems during infancy or early childhood
• Having certain social or cultural ideas about health and beauty
• Trying to be perfect or overly focused on rules

Anorexia often begins during the pre-teen or teen years or young adulthood. The disorder is seen mainly in Caucasian females who are high achievers in school and who have a goal-oriented family or personality. Athletes, actors, dancers and models are also at higher risk of anorexia. Coaches and parents may inadvertently raise the risk by suggesting that young athletes lose weight and maintain a certain body size or shape.

Reach out to a doctor right away if you or someone you know severely restricts food, has dramatic weight loss, or an intense fear of gaining weight. Seek emergency care for fainting, chest pain, or irregular heartbeat, and call or text 988 for thoughts of self-harm.