Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with losing weight. Weight loss is viewed by those suffering from anorexia as a means to achieve happiness. Patients with this disease can go to extreme levels to attain low body weight and can, in some cases, die from it.
These are the top five Anorexia Nervosa symptoms to watch out for:
- Anorexia nervosa patients tend to starve themselves even if they are already dangerously thin. They follow a restricted diet and eat only low calorie foods. They tend to throw away food or play with it to avoid eating and make excuses to get away from the meal. If they feel they have eaten too much, they induce vomiting.
- They tend to be obsessed with nutrition, grams of fat, and calories. Patients usually keep a food diary, read food labels, and measure the weight proportions of each and every item they eat. They read diet books and magazines continuously for dieting tips.
- A person with anorexia nervosa wants to be close to food. He or she eats very little food but thinks and plans about food continuously.
- They indulge in strange and secretive food rituals. Anorexia Nervosa patients usually refuse to eat food in the presence of others. They follow strict ritualistic habits and eating patterns. They may even wish to eat off of the same plate for every meal.
- Physical symptoms include rapidly deceasing body weight without any evident medical cause, hair loss, and swollen joints.
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