Almost half of people who have anorexia nervosa will eventually develop symptoms (binge-purge behaviors) of another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa.¹

Long-term or severe anorexia also can cause serious medical complications, such as:²

• Osteoporosis, which results from a lack of calcium in the diet as well as too much cortisol and too little estrogen in the body. The teenage years are critical bone-building years.
• Joint injuries, from too much exercise.
• Fractures, which are common in female athletes who have an eating disorder and also have osteoporosis and irregular menstrual cycles (known as the female athlete triad).
• Anemia.
• Kidney function problems, often caused by ongoing dehydration or abuse of laxatives.
• Heart problems such as a slow or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and low blood pressure (hypotension).
• Cavities or tooth decay.

If left untreated, many of these conditions can lead to death. Up to 15% of people who have anorexia will eventually die from complications of malnutrition or from suicide.³ However, restoring healthy eating habits and good nutrition can reverse many of the complications of anorexia.⁴