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\n[tooltiptop title=\"an-uh-RECK-see-uh nur-VOH-suh\"]Anorexia nervosa[/tooltiptop], often called anorexia, is a type of eating disorder. People with anorexia eat so little that they have unhealthy weight loss and become dangerously thin. They may think they are overweight or fat even when they are underweight or thin. Anorexia affects more girls and women than boys and men. Anorexia is a serious health problem that can increase the risk of early death. But people with anorexia can get better with treatment.
\nAnorexia nervosa, often called anorexia, is a type of eating disorder. Eating disorders are mental health problems that cause extreme and dangerous eating behaviors. These extreme eating behaviors cause other serious health problems and sometimes death. Some eating disorders also involve extreme exercise.
\nWomen with anorexia severely limit the amount of food they eat to prevent weight gain. People with anorexia usually have an intense fear of gaining weight and may think they are fat even when they are thin. Women with anorexia may also exercise too much so that they do not gain weight. Over time, eating so little food leads to serious health problems and sometimes death.
\nWomen with eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, have a mental health condition that affects how they eat, and sometimes how they exercise. These eating disorders threaten their health.
\nUnlike women with bulimia and binge eating disorder, girls and women with anorexia do not eat enough to sustain basic bodily functions. Women with bulimia and binge eating disorder usually binge, or eat too much while feeling out of control.
\nIt is possible to have more than one eating disorder in your lifetime. Regardless of what type of eating disorder you may have, you can get better with treatment.
\nAnorexia is more common among girls and women than boys and men.1\">1
\nAnorexia is also more common among girls and younger women than older women. On average, girls develop anorexia at 16 or 17.2\">2 Teen girls between 13 and 19 and young women in their early 20s are most at risk. But eating disorders are happening more often in older women. In one recent study, 13% of American women over 50 had signs of an eating disorder.3\">3
\nAnorexia causes physical and psychological changes. A girl or woman with anorexia often looks very thin and may not act like herself.
\nSome other symptoms of anorexia include:
\nGirls or women with anorexia may also have behavior changes such as:
\nPeople with anorexia may also have other health problems, including depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.
\nResearchers are not sure exactly what causes anorexia and other eating disorders. Researchers think that eating disorders might happen because of a combination of a person\u2019s biology and life events. This combination includes having specific genes, a person\u2019s biology, body image and self-esteem, social experiences, family health history, and sometimes other mental health illnesses.
\nResearchers are also studying unusual activity in the brain, such as changing levels of serotonin or other chemicals, to see how it may affect eating. Learn more about current research on anorexia.
\nWith anorexia, your body doesn\u2019t get the energy that it needs from food, so it slows down and stops working normally. Over time, anorexia can affect your body in the following ways:4\">4
\nAnorexia is a serious illness that can also lead to death. Studies have found that more women and girls die from anorexia than any other eating disorder or serious mental health problem such as depression.6\">6 Many people with anorexia also have other mental health problems such as depression or anxiety.7\">7,8\">8
\nLong-term studies of 20 years or more show that women who had an eating disorder in the past usually reach and maintain a healthy weight after treatment.9\">9
\nYour doctor or nurse will ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history. It may be difficult to talk to a doctor or nurse about secret eating or exercise behaviors. But doctors and nurses want to help you be healthy. Being honest about your eating and exercise behaviors with a doctor or nurse is a good way to ask for help.
\nYour doctor will do a physical exam and other tests, such as blood tests and a urine test, to rule out other health problems that may cause severe weight loss.
\nYour doctor may also do other tests, such as kidney function tests, bone density tests, or an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), to see if or how severe weight loss has affected your health.
\nYour doctor may refer you to a team of doctors, nutritionists, and therapists who will work to help you get better. If you live with family members they may be invited to participate in some of your treatment.
\nTreatment plans may include one or more of the following:
\nMost girls and women do get better with treatment and are able to eat and exercise in healthy ways again.10 Some may get better after the first treatment. Others get well but may relapse and need treatment again.
\nAnorexia can cause problems getting pregnant and during pregnancy.
\nExtreme weight loss can cause missed menstrual periods because you may not ovulate, or release an egg from the ovary. When you do not weigh enough to ovulate, it is difficult to get pregnant. However, if you do not want to have children right now and you have sex, you should use birth control.
\nAnorexia can also cause problems during pregnancy. Anorexia raises your risk for:
\nYes. Women who have recovered from anorexia, are at a healthy weight, and have normal menstrual cycles have a better chance of getting pregnant and having a safe and healthy pregnancy.
\nIf you had an eating disorder in the past, it may take you a little longer to get pregnant (about six months to a year) compared to women who never had an eating disorder.11\">11
\nTell your doctor if you had an eating disorder in the past and are trying to become pregnant.
\nMaybe. Some medicines used to treat anorexia can pass through breastmilk. Certain antidepressants can be used safely during breastfeeding.
\nTalk to your doctor to find out which medicine works best for you. Learn more about medicines and breastfeeding in our Breastfeeding section. You can also enter a medicine into the LactMed\u00ae database to find out if the medicine passes through breastmilk and about any possible side effects for your nursing baby.
\nFor more information about anorexia, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662, or contact the following organizations:
\nThis content is provided by the Office on Women's Health.
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