What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Anorexia involves an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. An anorexic may have a distorted perception of body weight, size or shape, and can restrict food intake to the point of deliberate starvation and eventual death. Anorexics can be as much as 15 percent under their normal body weight, but still perceive themselves as overweight.

Anorexics usually strive for perfection and set high standards for themselves. This extends to body weight, which is one thing an anorexic may feel she can control.

Anorexia may not be noticed early on because it often starts as an innocent diet. As it progresses, the disease may still be unnoticed by family members or friends because the anorexic usually wears big, layered clothes. Even emaciated anorexics continue to feel "fat" and want to hide their "ugly, fat body."

An anorexic may avoid any eating situation. If she can't, she will often play with, hoard or conceal food instead of eating it.

Anorexia can eventually lead to organ failure and death by starvation.