F50.01: Anorexia nervosa, active type

You have an eating disorder called anorexia nervosa.

You are anorexic. One’s physical feeling is altered when one has anorexia. One pays great attention to how many calories the food has. With anorexia, the amount of food eaten is often well below the healthy daily calorific intake. It also involves avoiding food or vomiting it back up. Weight can also be reduced by excessive physical activity or using drugs such as appetite suppressants or laxatives. Anorexia leads to extreme weight loss.

With anorexia, one may have other physical symptoms too. For example, the body’s messenger system may be changed. This can stop women from having menstrual periods. Men can become impotent. The person’s hair may also fall out and their pulse may slow down. When children or adolescents are anorexic, growth disorders may occur.

The Body Mass Index helps to identify anorexia. The Body Mass Index can be calculated by dividing the body weight by the square of the person’s height in meters. If the Body Mass Index is below a certain value, it may indicate anorexia.