Anorexia Nervosa

What is anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is a psychological illness marked by an intense fear of gaining weight, even though most anorexics are very thin. An anorexic is obsessed with food and yet strictly controls her own intake, often to extreme degrees.

In anorexia, the real issue is not the food itself. Rather, food is a metaphor for the control a girl or woman desperately seeks in her life. By withholding food and starving herself, she gains a sense of control over her life and is able to temporarily ease tension, anger, and anxiety.

• Most people with anorexia are female.
• 76% of reported anorexia nervosa cases have an onset between the ages of 11-20.
• Roughly 6% of patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa die; approximately half of these deaths are the result of suicide.
• Anorexia has the highest mortality rate for any mental illness.

Signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa

Early signs and symptoms may include:

• Low body weight for her height
• Intense fear of gaining weight
• Perception of being fat even when very thin
• Goes to great lengths to avoid eating
• Lies about having eaten
• Withdraws socially
• Avoids social situations involving food
• Attempts to cover up weight loss by wearing layers of baggy clothing

(Note: Although boys and men also develop eating disorders, the majority of victims are female. We will use the female pronouns “she” and “her” consistently throughout this website.)

(Photo Credit: PaytonGuerra on Flickr)