Anorexia Nervosa

Severe restriction of food intake driven by an intense fear of weight gain and a distorted body image.

What it is

Anorexia Nervosa involves severely limiting food intake, often to the point of significant weight loss, driven by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one’s own body. It’s one of the most medically serious eating disorders, because prolonged restriction directly affects how the body’s core systems function.

Signs & symptoms

Behavioral

Skipping meals or eating very small portions
Elaborate rules or rituals around food
Intense focus on calories, weighing, or measuring food
Denial that low weight is a problem

Physical

Significant, visible weight loss
Thinning hair, dry skin, feeling cold often
Dizziness or fainting
Irregular or absent menstrual periods

Emotional

Intense fear of weight gain
Distorted body image
Anxiety specifically around eating or meals
Perfectionism, need for control

Causes & risk factors

There’s no single cause. Genetic predisposition, certain personality traits (perfectionism, anxiety-proneness), and sociocultural pressure around thinness all play a role, and it most often first appears during adolescence — though it can develop at any age.

Related conditions

Anorexia is closely related to, and sometimes confused with, a few other patterns covered in our Compare section.

Treatment

Treatment typically starts with medical stabilization, since prolonged restriction affects the heart, bones, and hormonal system, followed by nutritional rehabilitation and therapy (commonly CBT or family-based treatment for adolescents). The right level of care depends on medical severity — see our full guide to levels of care for how that’s determined.

If you notice medical warning signs

Fainting, chest pain, a very slow or irregular heartbeat, inability to keep food or water down, or thoughts of self-harm are medical emergencies — not something to wait out. See our Safety Red Flags guide, and call or text 988, or call 911 for emergencies.