Anorexia can have dangerous psychological and behavioral effects on all aspects of an individual’s life and can affect other family members as well. Signs and symptoms include:

• The individual can become seriously underweight, which can lead to depression and social withdrawal.
• The individual can become irritable and easily upset and have difficulty interacting with others.
• Sleep can become disrupted and lead to fatigue during the day.
• Attention and concentration can decrease.
• Most individuals with anorexia become obsessed with food and thoughts of food.  They think about it constantly and become compulsive about eating rituals.  They may collect recipes, cut their food into tiny pieces, prepare elaborate calorie-laden meals for other people, or hoard food.  Additionally, they may exhibit other obsessions and/or compulsions related to food, weight, or body shape that meet the diagnostic criteria for an obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Other psychiatric problems are also common in people with anorexia nervosa, including affective (mood) disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.  (to be continued next week)