How to Recognize Signs of Anorexia in Young Girls

Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental illness that typically affects girls between the ages of 13 and 20. It has the potential to be life-threatening if not treated by a health care professional. Many anorexics become dangerously thin and the disease affects their vital organs, particularly the heart. In fact, one of the more common causes of death for anorexics is heart failure. It may be extremely difficult to recognize signs of anorexia in young girls as most of them will go to great lengths to disguise or hide their problem.

Instructions

• 1

  Be observant of eating habits. Many anorexics are vigilant about not exceeding a certain amount of calories daily. They may even weigh their meals to see how many ounces are in each food item. Many anorexics may skip meals, refuse to eat, pretend to eat, throw food away, or only eat certain low-calorie foods such as carrot sticks all day.

• 2

  Pay attention to body-image issues. Many anorexics are preoccupied with weighing themselves multiple times a day, frequently checking themselves out in the mirror, and constantly complaining that they are fat when they are clearly thin or svelte. They may also wear baggy or loose clothes to hide the fact that they have lost a lot of weight.

• 3

  Note the use of laxatives or diuretics. Young girls suffering from anorexia will often turn to laxatives or water pills as a means of quickly removing waste and water weight that they believe adds to their weight or makes them look bloated.

• 4

  Look for excessive exercising or heightened interest in dieting. Almost all anorexics use frequent exercising as a means of losing weight. Daily exercise for up to an hour or more coupled with cutting calories or avoiding meals may be a telltale sign of anorexia.

• 5

  Observe post-eating behavior. Many anorexics may try to throw up the food immediately after consuming it. They may also become obsessed with weighing themselves right after every meal. These are signs of an unhealthy preoccupation with food and weight.