Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder with one of the highest mortality rates out of all mental health disorders, second only to opioid use disorder (OUD). People with AN become dangerously malnourished and underweight because of severe food restriction. Despite this, many anorexics believe themselves to be fat or overweight, resorting to self-starvation to become thinner and thinner. The general “rule” is that they are below the 85th percentile in regards to their own growth chart’s target weight. The combination of the large drop in weight and the abruptness of the weight loss makes AN extremely concerning.

There are two subtypes of anorexia:

– Restricting type: People with this type of anorexia go to extreme lengths to lose more and more weight. Some unsafe methods are restriction from certain food groups, starvation, and calorie counting. Strict guidelines on specific foods that should be avoided (e.g., white bread) or the need to eat from specific plates/cutlery commonly characterize anorexia restricting type. Those with this type may engage in excessive, compulsive exercise habits… keeping an obsessed fixation on weight loss in mind.

– Binge-purge type: Anorexia binge-purge type is marked by binge episodes, followed by purging to try and “compensate” for the effects of eating. Purging happens when food is forced out with diuretics, laxatives, and/or vomiting, which does not keep the weight off long-term. Most importantly, purging is extremely dangerous. Anorexia binge-purge type is different from bulimia due to the state of being underweight. 

Common signs/symptoms: 

• Restrictive eating habits 
• Being of marginally low weight
• Osteoporosis— loss of bone density from calcium deficit in restrictive dieting
• Amenorrhea— cessation of menstrual cycle; may interfere with fertility later on
• Muscle weakness
• Heartburn or reflux— in binge-purge subtype
• Depression, anxiety
• Fatigue, irritability

Medical complications:

• Erratic heart rhythm
• Cardiac arrest, leading to death
• Kidney, liver, & cardiac issues
• Seizures 

Atypical anorexia (AAN) is different from AN in that the person is not underweight, yet displays the same symptoms such as obsessive food rules and fasting. Though they may have lost a considerable amount of weight from these dangerous methods, they are not below the “normal” weight for their height and age. However, the medical complications that follow still remain a concern. AAN is a mental illness that should be treated as soon as possible by eating disorder professionals.