When the actress' weight went down to 90 pounds, she was forced to leave Growing Pains for professional help. Eventually, Gold recovered from the disease to live a healthy life. 1 Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia Nervosa, or Anorexia, is an eating disorder resulting from a distorted body image. Although the disease affects men and women, it affects mostly women. Common symptoms of anorexia include an intense fear of gaining weight, loss of at least 15 percent of one's original body weight, and a loss of menstrual periods for females.
Anorexics pick at their food and cut it into small pieces on their plate.
Common characteristics for anorexia include compulsiveness with exercise, secrecy, and withdrawal. The main features of bulimia include episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting. Bulimics feel a lack of control over eating behavior and often use laxatives and diuretics. Frequent bathroom visits after meals are a strong indication of the disease. Self-criticism, dietary restriction in public, and impulsive behavior are common characteristics of bulimia.