Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that affects millions of people around the world, though most commonly young women.

Telling if you have an eating disorder

• If you answer yes to most of these questions, and have done so for a long time, you do likely have an eating disorder. While disordered eating isn't often life-threatening in itself, it can become one if left untreated. So if you think you may have an eating disorder, please get help. There are many resources out there—please don't suffer alone. Eating disorders can be very hard to beat by yourself; treatment is usually successful when combined with therapy and sometimes medication for co-occurring conditions like depression or anxiety.

Causes of eating disorders

• While eating disorders are somewhat common among men and women, they occur most frequently in adolescent girls, who often experience pressure to be thin. Stress, environmental factors, and genetic predisposition can also trigger eating disorders. If a family member has an eating disorder, your risk of developing one is greater than if no one in your family has an illness. While there is no singular cause for an eating disorder, you may have more vulnerability if you experience any of these issues

Signs & Symptoms

• The most noticeable symptom of anorexia is weight loss, but it may also include irregular or abnormal menstrual periods and hair loss. However, there are many symptoms that people with anorexia often hide. The first outward sign of having a serious eating disorder such as anorexia is dramatic weight loss (usually 15% or more). A doctor will measure their body fat percentage to see if it's less than 15%, which indicates that they are in danger of dying from starvation. Other indications of being at risk for death include being cold all the time, having yellow skin on hands and feet due to low blood sugar levels, feeling very tired/lethargic despite not getting enough sleep/exercise, and losing interest in activities previously enjoyed.

Treatments available

• How to treat anorexia nervosa include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, and medications, according to Mayo Clinic. While traditional treatments for anorexia also include nutritional counseling and increased meal portions, these efforts aren't typically successful. For many people with anorexia, eating a nutritious diet may be a key factor in their recovery. In addition to CBT or other therapy approaches that address underlying factors of an eating disorder (e.g., anxiety, depression), medication can help certain people with severe or complicated cases of anorexia.

Where to get help

• If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or think you might have one, it’s important to seek help. A good place to start is a general health clinic or your doctor. If you suspect that an eating disorder has impaired your judgment and daily functioning, then it’s wise to see a counselor who specializes in eating disorders. Whatever happens, don’t keep it to yourself; support is out there and recovery is possible! Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can be fatal if not treated early on. Eating disorders are known as invisible illnesses because most people do not look at someone who has an ED and assume they're sick; after all, how could someone be ill when they look so good?

Myths about eating disorders

• Some people believe that if you suffer from an eating disorder like anorexia, you'll always have it. That isn't true. Eating disorders are serious conditions that can be managed for life but do not need to define you forever. Only about 10 percent of people with an eating disorder develop it as a young adult (20-29). The other 90 percent are either adolescents (13-19) or middle-aged adults over age 30. Most often, someone is at a normal weight when they develop an eating disorder, although body image issues and low self-esteem may also play a role in developing one.