Anorexia??

[Aestai]

What is considered anorexia??? Several of my friends are conserned and keep saying I'm anorexic and I don't believe them. I was just hoping for a clear deffinition of it, so if somebody could help me out, it would be much appreatted

[emma01]

If I was to tell you the definition - I would be pretty much compying from wikipedia, so I will just post you with a link to some pages you might find useful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorexia_nervosa

http://www.adha.org/CE_courses/course8/table1.htm - that is the simplified version of the diagnostic criteria for anorexia.

If your friends are concerned, then you probably are showing signs of abnormal eating, while you may not be anorexic, you may still have disordered eating and this is still a huge problem. Don't feel embarrassed about this though - you should go and speak to someone, your school will have a guidance counsellor who will be more than happy to help you out!
Only you will know if your thoughts about food and yourself are not normal - and I think you know there is a problem or you would not have bothered to find this site and actually post!

I hope you can sort this out soon!

[Just Peachy.]

The links Emma provided for you are informational. I also advise looking at our article on eating disorders in the article section on Teen Help. As for your friends, don't worry about what they think. I would do some research on what anorexia is, and then decide whether or not you fit the description. If you think you do, then I would consider seeing a doctor. They can really help. Some people associate being thin with anorexia. But this is not the case, so be mindful of that. Take care.