The signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa include certain thought patterns, behaviors, and physical characteristics. Common thought patterns include intense fear of weight gain, an obsessive and distorted view of body weight or shape, and denial of illness or health risk.
Common behaviors include refusing to eat around others, purging meals (vomiting or using laxatives or diuretics), exercising excessively, and severely restricting food intake.
The physical manifestations of anorexia nervosa are similar to those of prolonged starvation and include being underweight, sensitivity to cold temperature, dry mouth, constipation, edema (swelling) in the extremities, and mental fatigue. Over time, people with anorexia can develop lanugo, a thin coat of fine body hair that is thought to help insulate the body. Anorexia can also lead to serious complications such as cardiomyopathy, hypotension, bradycardia, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, low white blood cell and platelet counts, electrolyte-induced arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms), kidney damage, brain atrophy, and seizures.[1][2]