A person with anorexia restricts their food intake and, over time, this can lead to being significantly underweight. Someone with anorexia may equate self-worth with their body weight, shape or size. People with anorexia can develop a distorted image of their body. They might be dangerously thin but see themselves as much larger.

However, you can’t always tell if someone has anorexia just by looking at them. That’s why it’s important to know the warning signs of anorexia.

• Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
• Significant weight loss or not gaining enough weight to support development in adolescence
• Fine hair growth on your body and face
• Hair loss, thinning or breakage
• Irregular or absent periods in females
• Low testosterone levels in males
• Lower body temperature or constantly feeling cold
• Irregular heartbeats, slowed heart rate or low blood pressure
• Unusually brittle nails
• Dry or yellowish skin
• Weak muscles
• Constipation or other digestive problems

• Extreme dieting, food rituals and fasting
• Avoiding entire food groups or skipping meals
• Making excuses about not eating or lying about the amount of food that’s been eaten
• Weighing themself frequently
• Distorted body image
• Eating only “safe” foods, usually ones low in fat and calories
• Exercising excessively to make up for eating
• Irritability when asked about eating or body weight
• Refusing to eat with friends and family, or in social situations
• Intense fear of being overweight
• Not recognizing the seriousness of their condition
• Isolation from family and friends
• Obsessing about how food is prepared

People with anorexia often have other mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorder and depression. Anorexia can make these conditions worse.

If you think you or a loved one has anorexia, schedule an initial assessment at Melrose Center. During the appointment, we’ll ask about symptoms and medical history, listen to concerns and answer questions. At the end of the assessment, we’ll provide a diagnosis and recommend a personalized treatment plan.

Outpatient treatment means someone visits Melrose Center but continues to live at home and maintain a normal schedule. It will include a combination of individual appointments with therapists, registered dietitians and medical providers. It may also include group sessions and guided meals. We offer outpatient treatment at all of our locations.

This day program (8 hours per day, 5 days per week) is recommended when more support and structure is needed to interrupt eating disorder behaviors. Therapy groups and individual appointments are included in the 8-hour programming day, as well as supported meals and snacks. The partial hospitalization program is typically 4 weeks long but can be extended as needed.

For more complex cases of anorexia, we might recommend residential treatment. During residential treatment, a person stays at Melrose Center where they can get 24/7 support and guidance from a team of experts. In addition to individual and group therapy sessions, the program also includes supported meals and snacks and other learning activities. After completing residential treatment, people often transition to our partial hospitalization program or outpatient care.

Sometimes, people recovering from anorexia need more intensive monitoring and support in order to stabilize their health. Intensive residential treatment includes frequent medical visits, multiple individual and group therapy sessions, support from registered dietitians, 24-hour nursing care and other support during recovery. Upon completing intensive residential treatment, people often transition to our residential program, partial hospitalization or outpatient care.