Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by abnormal eating behaviors, significant weight loss and psychiatric commodities. People with this disorder have an extreme phobia of gaining weight, which causes them to try and maintain a weight far less than their normal weight. People with anorexia nervosa believe that they are fat even though they are skinny. They have a distorted image of themselves. This is an emotional disorder on an attempt to become “perfect”. People with anorexia usually believe that their self esteem is tied to their weight. Anorexia mostly affects teens, as many as 3 in 100. It appears usually before puberty and creates more severe mental problems such as depression and OCD.

Some physical signs and symptoms of Anorexia nervosa include excessive weight loss, absent menstrual periods, thinning hair, dry skin, brittle nails, cold or swollen hands and feet, fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, and bloated or upset stomach.

Emotional symptoms include; refusing to eat, inability to remember things, depression, OCD, distorted perception of self, and refusing to acknowledge the seriousness of the disease. Some signs to watch for would be skipping meals or making excuses not to eat, eating only few foods, refusing to eat in public, planning meals for others but not eating, constantly weighing themselves, cutting food into tiny pieces and exercising vigorously.

The possible impacts on anorexia is very large. Doctors