Anorexia is the third most common chronic disorder, only after asthma and diabetes. People with Anorexia Nervosa tend to restrict the amount of calories what food they eat. Some people who go through this will purge through vomiting and laxatives, and/or binge eating.

 

Anorexia may affect anyone no matter their age, sexuality, race, gender, or ethnicity.  Since so many people assume that males can not have an eating disorder they get diagnosed later in life and end up more likely to die from an eating disorder than females; males actually represent 25% of people suffering from an eating disorder.

 

Although you can develop anorexia at any age it is more common for adolescence. Studies have shown that large bodied people who have anorexia are less likely to be diagnosed because of societies derogative views on fat and obesity. 

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There are two main types of anorexia-

• Binge/Purge Type – The person struggling with this type of eating disorder will often purge after eating. This alleviates the fear of gaining weight and offsets some of the guilt of having ingested forbidden, or highly restricted food. The compensatory purge behavior by the individual with Binge/Purge Type may purge by exercising excessively, vomiting or abusing laxatives.

• Restrictive – The individual suffering from restrictive anorexia is often perceived as highly self-disciplined. They restrict the quantity of food, calories and often high fat or high sugar foods. They consume far fewer calories than are needed to maintain a healthy weight. This is a heartbreaking form of self-starvation.