Anorexia is term that is often loosely thrown around to describe someone who is skinny or overly weight-conscious, however there are clear criteria that characterize this serious disorder. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders V, Anorexia Nervosa diagnostic requirements include:
- Restriction of energy intake leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health
- Intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain even though at a significantly low weight
- Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence on body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight
If you are concerned that a loved one exhibits harmful/restrictive eating habits, low body image, and obsesses about thinness check the facts outlined by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders regarding the presence of Anorexia:
- deliberate self-starvation with weight loss
- intense, persistent fear of gaining weight
- refusal to eat or engages in restrictive eating patterns
- perpetual dieting
- excessive facial/body hair due to the inadequate consumption of protein
- abnormal weight loss
- abnormal hair loss
- absent or irregular menstruation
Consult your family physician or schedule an appointment with a mental health provider if these symptoms develop or persist for effective treatment options.
