Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSignsConsequencesTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Signs

Consequences

Treatment

Anorexia nervosa is a serious, and sometimes deadly,eating disorderthat impacts 0.3% to 0.4% of young women in the United States.Adolescents between ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia have 12 times the risk of dying compared to their same-aged peers.Because the disease often starts in the teen years and can be fatal if not treated, it’s important for parents to know the signs of anorexia in teens.

Signs of Anorexia in Teens

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes the person to severely restrict what they eat or drink. A person with anorexia is often underweight, but continues to feel overweight or “fat.” There is often a great fear of gaining any weight, despite the fact that the person is underweight.

There are many and variedsigns of anorexiain teens, including physical as well as emotional/behavioral symptoms. Not all teens with anorexia nervosa are emaciated. Anorexia nervosa can also be diagnosed in individuals who have recently lost a lot of weight and are what many would consider “normal weight.”

Physical Signs:

Emotional or Behavioral Signs:

What to Know About Eating Disorders

Teens with anorexia nervosa deprive their bodies of sufficient calories and nutrients, which can lead to a variety of physical health consequences, including:

In addition to physical complications, anorexia has been linked with a variety of emotional and mental health consequences, including low self-esteem. Many adolescents with anorexia are often hard-driving perfectionists.

Despite the fact that they usually get good grades and excel in after-school activities, they often havelow self-esteemand a need to control the people and things around them. These personality traits might be obvious or they might be subtle, but they can point towards a tendency towards anorexia.

Teens with anorexia nervosa can also have co-occurring mental health disorders, including:

If your child has an eating disorder, contact theNational Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helplinefor support at 1-800-931-2237.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If your child has an eating disorder, contact theNational Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helplinefor support at 1-800-931-2237.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Anorexia Can Actually Change Brain Structure

Treatment for Anorexia in Teens

If you suspect your teen may have an eating disorder, seek immediate treatment. Talk to your teen’s physician about your concerns and discuss treatment options, which often aim to:

Early intervention improves the chances for a teens' successful recovery from an eating disorder, so don’t wait to seek treatment for your loved one. Your first step may be reaching out to your teen’s primary care physician about eating disorders, the signs you may be noticing, and potential ways to help.

Treatment for an eating disorder may consist of nutritional rehabilitation and psychotherapy, including individual therapy (adolescent-focused therapy), family therapy (systemic family therapy), or even residential treatment. There are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of anorexia.

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for Eating Disorders

A Word From Verywell

What Influences Anorexia Recovery?

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eating Disorder Association.Statistics & research on eating disorders.Gravina G, Milano W, Nebbiai G, Piccione C, Capasso A.Medical complications in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.EMIDDT. 2018;18(5):477-488. doi:10.2174/1871530318666180531094508National Eating Disorder Association.Anorexia nervosa.National Eating Disorder Association.Health consequences.American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Eating disorders in teens.Lock J.Updates on treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2019;28(4):523-535. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2019.05.001

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eating Disorder Association.Statistics & research on eating disorders.Gravina G, Milano W, Nebbiai G, Piccione C, Capasso A.Medical complications in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.EMIDDT. 2018;18(5):477-488. doi:10.2174/1871530318666180531094508National Eating Disorder Association.Anorexia nervosa.National Eating Disorder Association.Health consequences.American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Eating disorders in teens.Lock J.Updates on treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2019;28(4):523-535. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2019.05.001

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Eating Disorder Association.Statistics & research on eating disorders.Gravina G, Milano W, Nebbiai G, Piccione C, Capasso A.Medical complications in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.EMIDDT. 2018;18(5):477-488. doi:10.2174/1871530318666180531094508National Eating Disorder Association.Anorexia nervosa.National Eating Disorder Association.Health consequences.American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Eating disorders in teens.Lock J.Updates on treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2019;28(4):523-535. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2019.05.001

National Eating Disorder Association.Statistics & research on eating disorders.

Gravina G, Milano W, Nebbiai G, Piccione C, Capasso A.Medical complications in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.EMIDDT. 2018;18(5):477-488. doi:10.2174/1871530318666180531094508

National Eating Disorder Association.Anorexia nervosa.

National Eating Disorder Association.Health consequences.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Eating disorders in teens.

Lock J.Updates on treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2019;28(4):523-535. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2019.05.001

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