Anorexia

What Is Anorexia Nervosa? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Julie Lynn Marks
By Medically Reviewed by 
Reviewed:
Medically Reviewed
What-is-Anorexia-Nervosa-1440x810
Anyone can develop anorexia, but it’s most common in women and teenage girls.iStock

Anorexia nervosa, or anorexia for short, is an eating disorder that involves severe food restriction.

People with this disorder have an intense fear of gaining weight. They’re willing to use unhealthy and extreme measures to control their calorie intake.

Sometimes people with anorexia will also exercise compulsively, vomit after eating, use laxatives, take medicine, or binge eat.

Anorexia can be life-threatening and difficult to overcome. But the right treatment can help you control your behaviors.

Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia

Anorexia causes a wide range of symptoms, which can be physical, emotional, and behavioral.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of anorexia may include:

  • Extreme weight loss
  • Very low body weight
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Abnormal blood counts
  • Fainting or dizziness
  • Thin or brittle hair
  • Fine hair that covers your body
  • Blue fingers
  • Dry, blotchy, or yellow skin
  • Irregular menstrual periods (in women)
  • Feeling cold all the time
  • Constipation
  • Stomach pain
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Low blood pressure
  • Dehydration
  • Swollen joints
  • Weak muscles
  • Poor memory
  • Discolored teeth or other dental issues
  • Cuts or calluses on your knuckles (from induced vomiting)

Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms

Some emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with anorexia are:

  • Being preoccupied with weight or food
  • Eating very little or not eating at all
  • Refusing to eat around others
  • Lying about how much you eat
  • Taking laxatives or diet pills
  • Making yourself vomit
  • Exercising excessively
  • Being irritable or moody
  • Withdrawing from social situations
  • Wearing layers of clothing to cover up your body
  • Weighing yourself constantly
  • Complaining about being fat

Causes and Risk Factors of Anorexia

Anyone can have anorexia, but the disorder is more common among girls and women than boys and men.

About 0.6 percent of American women will suffer from anorexia in their lifetime.

Girls typically develop anorexia around age 16 or 17. Teenage girls and women in their early twenties have the highest risk.

Still, older women can be affected. In a study, 13 percent of women older than 50 had signs of an eating disorder.

Other risk factors for anorexia include:

  • Having a close family member with an eating disorder
  • Dieting
  • Going through a life change (such as starting a new job or the death of a loved one)
Researchers aren’t exactly sure what causes anorexia. The disorder is likely triggered by a combination of the following:

  • Biological Factors Some people may have genetic differences that put them at risk for anorexia.
  • Psychological Factors Anorexia is linked to obsessive-compulsive personality traits and anxiety. People with these psychological conditions may have a higher risk of developing anorexia.
  • Environmental Factors Social experiences and cultural expectations may play a role in anorexia.

Anorexia vs. Other Eating Disorders

Anorexia is different from other eating disorders, such as bulimia and binge eating disorder, even though they share some symptoms.

The key difference is people with anorexia don’t eat enough, while those with bulimia and binge eating disorders have episodes of eating large amounts of food and then trying to get rid of the calories.

If you have anorexia, you’re usually underweight. People with bulimia may be normal or above-normal weight.

You can have more than one eating disorder in your lifetime.

How Is Anorexia Diagnosed?

Getting a diagnosis is important, so you can start prompt treatment.

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, behaviors, and medical history. You’ll probably have a physical exam and additional tests, such as a blood draw or urine test, to rule out other problems.

You may also need a kidney function test, a bone density test, or an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to see how your weight loss has affected different parts of your body.

Prognosis of Anorexia

When it comes to anorexia, your prognosis will depend on the severity of the illness, the treatment you receive, and other factors.

Unfortunately, anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric diagnosis. The condition tends to worsen the longer it is left untreated.


One study, which followed up with patients 21 years after they were first hospitalized for anorexia, found that about 50 percent had made a full recovery, just over 10 percent hadn’t recovered, and 15.6 percent had died from causes related to anorexia.

People with anorexia can recover, and most are able to eat and exercise normally again. A relapse is common if you’re stressed or exposed to other triggers. Continuing therapy may be needed to help you stay healthy.

Duration of Anorexia

The duration of anorexia varies from person to person. Some people recover completely, while others struggle with symptoms for their whole lives.

Treatment and Medication Options for Anorexia

Several treatment options are available to help people with anorexia. Sometimes they’re combined for better results.

Common approaches include:

  • Nutrition Counseling You’ll work with a dietitian or other medical professional to devise an eating plan that will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Psychotherapy Engaging in “talk therapy” can change your thoughts and behaviors.
  • Support Groups Sharing your story with others in a group setting may help your recovery.
  • Hospitalization In severe cases, hospitalization is necessary to monitor health problems and help you recover.

Many clinics specialize in treating eating disorders like anorexia. Talk to your doctor about finding the best facility for your needs.

Medication Options

There aren’t any drugs approved to treat anorexia, but sometimes medicine that treats underlying causes can help. For instance, antidepressants might relieve some of the symptoms that accompany anorexia, especially anxiety and depression.

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Some people with anorexia try alternative and complementary approaches to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Common therapies include:

Prevention of Anorexia 

Because a variety of physical, emotional, and social issues lead to eating disorders, all of these areas need to be addressed in order to help prevent disorders from developing.


This may involve reducing negative risk factors — such as body dissatisfaction, depression, and basing self-esteem on appearance — and at the same time boosting protective factors, like eating a well-balanced diet and understanding how the body works.

Parents should encourage healthy attitudes about food and body image.

Complications of Anorexia

Eating disorders can cause serious, even life-threatening, complications if you don’t seek treatment.

Malnourishment is a major cause of death,

but studies estimate that up to 30 percent of people with anorexia attempt suicide. Further, these attempts are more likely to be serious and require medical attention.

Other complications include:

Anorexia and Pregnancy

Anorexia can make it harder for you to get pregnant and may cause problems during pregnancy.

If you lose an extreme amount of weight, you might not ovulate (release an egg from the ovary) each month, which makes it difficult to conceive.

Anorexia can also raise your risk of having a:

  • Miscarriage
  • Premature birth
  • C-section delivery
  • Low-birth-weight baby
Additionally, you may be more likely to experience postpartum depression after your baby is born if you have anorexia.

Research and Statistics: Who Has Anorexia?

Experts estimate that about 9 percent of Americans (28.8 million people) will have some type of eating disorder in their lifetime.

Data shows that the lifetime prevalence of anorexia is three times higher in adult women than men. Among adolescents, eating disorders were more than twice as prevalent among females.

More than 10,000 deaths each year result from eating disorders.

Black Americans and Anorexia

Though it’s often portrayed as a problem that impacts young, white women, anorexia can affect people of all races, ages, ethnicities, and demographics.

People of color with eating disorders are half as likely to be diagnosed or receive treatment.

Research shows that while Black people are less likely than white people to be diagnosed with anorexia, they may have the disease for a longer period of time.

Related Conditions and Causes of Anorexia

Some health conditions that are closely related to anorexia include:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Some people with OCD may also be preoccupied with food and may restrict what they eat.

Depression Many people with depression lose weight due to a loss of appetite and interest in food.

Anxiety Severe anxiety may diminish a person’s appetite or may be focused on fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia Nervosa People with BN are also very concerned about their body shape and gaining weight, but they maintain a minimally normal body weight.

Resources We Love

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

NEDA is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders, including anorexia.

Eating Disorder Hope

Eating Disorder Hope offers a host of resources, including online support groups that are led by professional counselors.

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders (ANAD)

This association seeks to offer support to help improve the problems associated with eating disorders, especially anorexia and bulimia.

National Alliance for Eating Disorders

This nonprofit provides programs to promote education, outreach, and advocacy for people who are affected by eating disorders.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

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