Anorexia Nervosa

People who get help with mental health tend to get better faster and stay better longer.

People with anorexia nervosa obsess about their weight and the food they eat.

People with anorexia nervosa may also have:

Extreme thinness (emaciation)
A relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight
Intense fear of gaining weight
Distorted body image, a self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape, or a denial of the seriousness of low body weight
Lack of menstruation among girls and women (amenorrhea)
Extremely restricted eating
Compulsive exercise

Other symptoms may develop over time, including:

Thinning of bones (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
Brittle hair and nails
Dry and yellowish skin
Growth of fine hair all over the body (lanugo)
Mild anemia and muscle wasting and weakness
Severe constipation
Low blood pressure, slowed breathing, and pulse
Damage to the structure and function of the heart
Brain damage
Multi-organ failure
Drop in internal body temperature, causing a person to feel cold all the time
Lethargy, sluggishness, or feeling tired all the time
Infertility
Chronically inflamed and sore throat
Swollen salivary glands in the neck and jaw area
Worn tooth enamel, increasingly sensitive and decaying teeth as a result of exposure to stomach acid
Acid reflux disorder and other gastrointestinal problems
Intestinal distress and irritation from laxative abuse
Severe dehydration from purging of fluids
Electrolyte imbalance (too low or too high levels of sodium, calcium, potassium, and other minerals), which can lead to heart attack.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

People who get help when they have eating disorders tend to get better faster and stay better longer.