Topic Overview
By Healthwise
What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa, which is also called anorexia, is a type of eating disorder. It is both a physical and emotional problem that can become life-threatening.

A person who has anorexia severely limits the amount of food he or she eats, has an intense fear of gaining weight, and can become dangerously thin. Severe or long-term anorexia can lead to starvation, serious health problems, and even death.

Anorexia is not dieting. It may start as dieting, but it grows beyond your control. Anorexia is also linked to anxiety and an intense fear of gaining weight.1
If you have anorexia, you may be the last person to know it. When other people say that you are very thin, you may not see it. This is called having a distorted body image

Anorexia can become a lifelong illness, although it is possible to fully recover with proper treatment.

What causes anorexia?
The cause of anorexia is not known. However, it can be closely tied to anxiety, most often obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Your chances of getting anorexia may be higher than average if you have certain traits (such as perfectionism or anxiety) and feel under pressure to be thin, such as people in modeling, ballet, wrestling, or gymnastics.

Of course, it's also common to feel pressure to be overly thin simply from watching TV or reading magazines.
There is a strong genetic link to anorexia. Your chances of developing it increase if other people in your family are obese or have an eating disorder or mood disorder (such as depression or anxiety).

What are the symptoms?

Common feelings and actions that are linked to anorexia include:

• Having an intense fear of gaining weight.
  
• Restricting food or types of food, such as food that contains any kind of fat.
  
• Weighing less than 85% of your expected body weight. (In a child or teen, losing or not gaining weight during a growth spurt is a concern.)
  
• Seeing your body as overweight, even though you are underweight.
  
• Overexercising.
  
• Being secretive around food and not seeing or wanting to talk about having a problem with eating.
  
  Common signs of malnutrition from anorexia include:
  
• A low body weight.
  
• Constipation and slow emptying of the stomach.
  
• Thinning hair, dry skin, and brittle nails.
  
• Shrunken breasts.
  
• Stopping or never getting a monthly menstrual period.
  
• Feeling cold, with a lower-than-normal body temperature.
  
• Low blood pressure.
  
• A slow heartbeat (fewer than 60 beats per minute).
  
• Not feeling pain as you normally would.
  
• Purplish skin color on the arms and legs from poor blood circulation.
  
• Swollen feet and hands.
  
• Yellow-orange skin, especially on the palms of the hands.

Some people who have anorexia also make themselves vomit (bulimia). Breakdown of the enamel on the teeth is a common symptom of ongoing or regular vomiting.

How is anorexia diagnosed?
There is no single test that can diagnose anorexia. However, this illness has an obvious effect on your health and eating habits. When malnutrition or starvation sets in, every part of your body is harmed.

If your health professional thinks that you may have an eating disorder, he or she will check you for signs of malnutrition or starvation, such as osteoporosis or heart problems. Your health professional may also ask questions about your emotional well-being. It is common for a treatable mental health problem such as depression or anxiety to play a part in an eating disorder.

How is it treated?
Getting early treatment improves your chances of beating anorexia. Even if you (or someone you care about) have only a couple of the signs of an eating disorder, see a health professional now. The sooner you start learning how to take charge of your body and mind in a healthy way, the easier your recovery will be.

All people who have anorexia need treatment, although most do not seek it on their own. Treatment includes taking steps to regain and maintain a healthy weight, learning good eating habits, and getting professional counseling.

There are no proven medications that can treat anorexia. However, if you also have anxiety or depression, your health professional may recommend an antidepressant drug.

After you have gained some weight, an antidepressant medicine such as fluoxetine (Prozac), may help prevent a relapse. (Antidepressant medicine is most proven for treating bulimia.)

Urgent care in a hospital is needed for extreme weight loss or life-threatening health problems. This is a time when a family member or health professional would have to decide whether you are in danger. If you have severe malnutrition, you are not likely to be able to think clearly. Someone else will have to make medical care decisions for you.

How common is anorexia?
Anorexia affects less than 1% of the general population. Of that group, 90% are female. Anorexia usually begins during the teen years, but it can develop in early childhood. A few cases first occur in adulthood. It happens in people of all races, although white females are most often affected. Young people who are in sports or in work that requires a certain body type (such as wrestling, ballet, or modeling) are also at increased risk for developing anorexia

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