Facts

Who Develops Anorexia?

Anorexia nervosa affects males and females in all age groups, but the disorder is most common in teenagers and young adults. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) reports that:

• Anorexia is the third most common long-term illness among teenagers.
• Males make up about 10 to 15 percent of those who suffer from anorexia.
• Teens and young adults between the ages of 12 and 26 make up 95 percent of those who have eating disorders.
• Anorexia is the most common cause of death (up to 12 times higher than any other condition) among young women ages 15 to 24.

How Is Anorexia Diagnosed?

Anorexia involves more than just weight loss. This emotional eating disorder has several defining characteristics, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):

• Losing a significant percentage of one’s normal weight
• Striving for an abnormally low body weight at all costs
• Extreme, self-imposed dietary restrictions
• An overpowering fear of weight gain
• A self-image that relies on weight and body size
• Infrequent or absent menstrual periods in females