What is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by low body weight, distorted body image perception, and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. It primarily affects adolescent females (aged 16-26), with only approximately 10% of diagnosed individuals being male. Methods of weight control used by individuals with anorexia include voluntary starvation, excessive exercise, diet pills, or diuretics.

Diagnosis of Anorexia

There is no single test for diagnosis. It frequently co-occurs with other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Typical diagnostic methods include physical exams, mental health assessments, blood tests, and standardized indexes like BMI.

BMI's Role in Diagnosis

BMI is one approach, and a BMI below 17.5 in adults is a common physical characteristic for diagnosis. Different tiers of anorexia based on BMI:

• Mild: <17.5
• Moderate: 16-16.99
• Severe: 15-15.99
• Extreme: <15

Important: A BMI below 13.5 can lead to organ failure, and below 12 can be life-threatening. BMI alone is not enough to make a diagnosis of anorexia and is solely a possible indicator.