People who intentionally starve themselves suffer from an eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. the disorder, which usually begins in young people around the time of puberty, involves extreme weight loss–at least 15 percent below the individual’s normal body weight. many people with the disorder look emaciated but are convinced they are overweight. Sometimes they must be hospitalized to prevent starvation.

People with anorexia often hide their condition, so the warning signs are not always easy to spot. furthermore, anorexics will typically try to explain away their disordered eating behaviors when confronted. But as anorexia progresses, the signs and symptoms become increasingly obvious and difficult to deny.

1.strange or secretive food rituals – often refuses to eat around others or in public places. may eat in rigid, ritualistic ways (e.g. cutting food “just so”, chewing food and spitting it out, using a specific plate).

2.Preoccupation with food – Eats very little, but constantly thinks about food. may cook for others, collect recipes, read food magazines, or make meal plans.

3.Pretending to eat or lying about eating – Hides, plays with, or throws away food to avoid eating. Makes excuses to get out of meals (“I had a huge lunch” or “My stomach isn’t feeling good.”).

4.Obsession with calories, fat grams, and nutrition – Reads food labels, measures and weighs portions, keeps a food diary, reads diet books.

5.Dieting despite being thin – follows a severely restricted diet. Eats only certain low-calorie foods. Bans “bad” foods such as carbohydrates and fats.

6.Attention and concentration can decrease.

7.Sleep can become disrupted and lead to fatigue during the day.

8.the individual can become irritable and easily upset and have difficulty interacting with others.

9.the individual can become seriously underweight, which can lead to depression and social withdrawal.

With anorexia nervosa, you have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat despite the fact that you may be underweight.You may use one or more of the following methods to lose weight.

Usually people do these things secretively. For instance, if eating with others, a person with anorexia may move food around on a plate or place some food in a napkin to hide it. if confronted by these unusual behaviors, the person may deny or refuse to discuss them.

A person who suffers from this disorder is typically characterized by their refusal to maintain a body weight which is consistent with their build, age and height. Specifically, a person’s body weight needs to be 85% or less than that which is considered typical for someone of similar build, age and height.

The individual usually experiences an intense and overwhelming fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. this fear is regardless of the person’s actual weight, and will often continue even when the person is near death from starvation. It is related to a person’s poor self-image, which is also a symptom of this disorder. the individual suffering from this disorder believes that their body weight, shape and size is directly related to how good they feel about themselves and their worth as a human being. Persons with this disorder often deny the seriousness of their condition and can not objectively evaluate their own weight.

At least three consecutive menstrual cycles must be missed, if the woman was menstruating previously before the onset of the disorder. Specifically, a woman is considered to have amenorrhea if her periods occur only following hormone, e.g., estrogen, administration.