Anorexia nervosa (often just called anorexia) is an eating disorder. It is ten times as common in females as in males. It most often starts during the teenage years. About 9 in 1,000 women develop features of anorexia at some point in their lives.
People with anorexia restrict the amount they eat and drink. People with anorexia are underweight. Sometimes, the weight becomes so low that it is dangerous to health.
Signs and symptoms:
- if you're under 18, your weight and height being lower than expected for your age
- if you're an adult, having an unusually low body mass index (BMI)
- missing meals, eating very little, or avoiding eating any foods you see as fattening
- believing you're fat when you're a healthy weight or underweight
- taking medicine to reduce your hunger (appetite suppressants)
- your periods stopping (in women who have not reached menopause) or not starting (in younger women and girls)
- physical problems, such as feeling lightheaded or dizzy, hair loss or dry skin
When to see a doctor?
Unfortunately, many people with anorexia don't want treatment, at least initially. Their desire to remain thin overrides concerns about their health. If you have a loved one you're worried about, urge her or him to talk to a doctor. If you're experiencing any of the problems listed above, or if you think you may have an eating disorder, get help. If you're hiding your anorexia from loved ones, try to find a person you trust to talk to about what's going on.
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia