Living With Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by excessive weight loss and distorted body image. This disease is identified by a refusal to eat, an intense desire to be thin, and repeated dieting attempts. A person living with anorexia may believe that they are overweight even when they are extremely thin, and can literally starve themself to death.

 

Treatment for this condition often includes therapy and nutritional counseling to help the person learn to eat again and maintain healthy eating habits on their own. In more severe cases, hospitalization may be required. The course and outcome of this disorder will vary among individuals: some fully recover after a single episode; some have a fluctuating pattern of weight gain and relapse. Others experience a chronically deteriorating course of the illness over many years.