Anorexia nervosa

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness and a type of eating disorder. It affects how someone thinks and feels about their body shape and size. It also affects how someone behaves, including things like:

• eating habits
• exercise habits
• mood and behaviour changes.

Anorexia is generally more common in girls than boys. The number of younger boys who develop anorexia is usually higher than that of young adult men.

Anorexia is a life-threatening condition and can seriously affect:

• vital organs like the heart, liver and kidneys
• brain function
• growth and development
• bone density
• the ability to have children later on in life
• friendships and family relationships.

When a child or teenager has anorexia, they may:

• restrict the food they eat
• have a distorted body image
• have an intense fear of weight gain.

It can be difficult to spot anorexia in children and teenagers as it is developing. Not all people with anorexia will show all warning signs, and some signs may develop as the condition gets worse.

Warning signs can include:

• food habits that are unusual or obsessive – for example, being very interested in food, recipes, and cooking but not eating what has been made
• food hiding and restriction – for example, having rules about what food is “healthy” or allowed to be eaten
• calorie counting and obsessive reading of nutrition labels on food
• changing behaviour around food - for example, going to the bathroom for long periods after eating, or only eating away from other people
• vomiting after meals
• using laxatives
• increased body-checking behaviours - for example, weighing or measuring the body.

If you are worried that your child has an eating disorder like anorexia or they are showing signs like rapid weight loss and behavioural changes, see your local doctor as soon as possible.

Diagnosing an eating disorder can involve:

• talking to parents and carers
• talking to your child or teenager
• taking a medical history
• doing a blood test and a urine test
• doing a physical exam.

A physical exam can include checking:

• weight
• height
• blood pressure
• heart rate.

The doctor can give you information and refer you to health professionals who are used to treat eating disorders. 

Admission to the hospital may be needed if your child or teenager is: 

• severely unwell 
• at risk of self-harm 
• at risk of suicide.

A team of healthcare professionals from different specialties work together to develop a treatment plan for eating disorders like anorexia specific to your child. This is called a multidisciplinary care team, which creates an individual treatment plan for your child.

This team can include:

• your local doctor or another doctor your child is comfortable talking to
• psychologist
• psychiatrist
• dietician
• eating disorder clinic
• paediatrician.

Treatment of eating disorders is different for every child. Your child’s treatment team will be able to discuss treatment with you and your child and answer any questions you have.