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Get help to stop starving yourself

	About 1 out of every 200 women gets anorexia, but men and children can also get it. Anorexia can seriously damage your health. ConsumerReportsHealth.org and your doctor can guide you through the treatments for anorexia, and help restore your health.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org today and find out whether medications or therapy rates best for treating anorexia.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with anorexia, you're not alone. Consumer Reports Health is here to help with the best research about anorexia, and expert evidence and advice about treatment options.

Key points for people with anorexia

• Anorexia is a serious medical condition, not just a phase or a fad.
• If you have anorexia, you may not be able to admit you have a problem. You may not want treatment.
• You dread getting fat. And you think you are fat even when you are much too thin and weigh too little for your height.
• Having anorexia seriously damages your health. It makes you starve your body of the food it needs to work properly.
• It is possible to get better. You can put on weight and keep it on. And you can change how you think about weight and food. But it's not easy.
• We don't know which treatments are best because not much research has been done on them yet.

Anorexia is much more common in women than in men—about 725,000 women in the United States have anorexia, and many more have other eating problems—however, men can also get anorexia. While experts are unsure exactly what causes anorexia, they believe it's probably a combination of the genes you're born with, what happens to you in life, and emotional problems that lead to anorexia.

With time and treatment, many people with anorexia can understand and control the thoughts and feelings that go along with the condition. Early treatment is particularly helpful.

We encourage you to read our entire condition report and to consult with your doctor to learn more about anorexia. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, you’ll have access to our expert research and recommendations, and you’ll be more confident and knowledgeable about which treatments are best for you.