According to the DSM-5, “Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a distorted body image and excessive dieting that leads to severe weight loss with a pathological fear of gaining weight”. It is a mental condition that affects physical and mental health. Anorexia nervosa is a condition that causes an individual to starve even if they are already underweight because they fear becoming overweight and having a distorted body image. It is more common in women than in men, especially in women between the ages of 15 and 35. There have been cases of anorexia as early as 7 years of age and up to 80 years of age. Several warning signs to look for when trying to decide if someone you know has anorexia nervosa are refusal to eat. When they see food they don't eat or make excuses not to eat. They are very restrictive in eating or are always on a diet. They always go to the gym even if they don't need to and exercise constantly. The individual appears to lose weight abnormally and is never able to maintain a specific weight. And having an intense fear of losing weight is a sign of this disorder. Many other signs that are not assumed to be signs of such a serious disorder are great sensitivity to cold, hair loss, or excessive facial and body hair all over the body. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders some symptoms are listed: weight, intense fear of gaining weight, body image problems and amenorrhea or lack of treatment. If a person is 15% below ideal body weight and refuses to eat they are considered anorexic. Subsequently, the intense fear of gaining weight is a symptom. If you always think about food and have questions about how many calories, how many grams of fat, and how much…half of paper…to achieve a healthy state. Although no one I know has had or been anorexic before, I had recently watched Dr. Phil and he was interviewing a woman who was anorexic and had someone on that show who was anorexic at some point in her life and because she was anorexic she had convulsions and seizures and had severe brain damage and became mentally disabled. She was a beautiful young woman, and because of her obsession with her body, her mother will have to change her and take care of her for the rest of her life. If anyone I knew or if anyone knew someone who they thought had signs of anorexia nervosa, I would highly recommend that they watch that episode of Dr. Phil or show them that episode because it could change their life forever. It was extremely sad to watch this and know that people go through this and it can very seriously damage their health and even kill themselves.