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Anorexia Nervosa

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Frequently Asked Questions

Anorexia
Nervosa
Q: What is anorexia nervosa?
A: A person with anorexia nervosa (an-uhhttp://www.womenshealth.gov

1-800-994-9662
TDD: 1-888-220-5446

RECK-see-uh nur-VOH-suh), often called anorexia, has an intense fear of gaining weight. Someone with anorexia thinks about food a lot and limits the food she or he eats, even though she or he is too thin. Anorexia is more than just a problem with food. It's a way of using food or starving oneself to feel
It was 6 months ago when I realized my daughter, Jen, had an eating disorder. Jen has always been a picky eater. But I started to see that she moved food around her plate.
And she never ate very much. She exercised all the time — even when she was sick. And she was sick a lot. She became very skinny and pale. Her hair thinned.
Jen became moody and seemed sad — I thought that's what teens act like. But once I put the signs together, I talked to
Jen about anorexia. She denied she had a problem. But I knew she needed help. I took her to our doctor, and she asked me to put Jen in the hospital. Jen’s treatment helped her return to a normal weight. It's been a tough road since then for all of us, but Jen is back home now. She is still seeing her doctors, and may need help for some time. But she’s doing much better.

more in control of life and to ease tension, anger, and anxiety. Most people with anorexia are female. An anorexic:

• Has a low body weight for her or his height • Resists keeping a normal body weight • Has an intense fear of gaining weight

• Thinks she or he is fat even when very thin

• Misses 3 menstrual periods in a row
(for girls/women who have started having their periods)

Q: Who becomes anorexic?
A: While anorexia mostly affects girls and women (85 - 95 percent of anorexics
are

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