Physicians call them anorectics or anorexics. Almost all anorectics are teenage girls or young women, and underlying psychological problems are usually associated with the disorder. Without proper treatment anorexia can lead to serious medical problems and death. Cause Doctors still do not know exactly why young girls begin compulsively starving themselves, but cultural, biological, and psychological factors may be involved. For example, the emphasis on dieting and thinness in our society probably plays some part in the onset of this disorder.
Anorectics invariably see themselves as overweight, even though they are in fact emaciated.
Because of this distorted self-image, no matter how much weight they lose, anorectics constantly remain afraid of becoming fat. Biological factors probably also play a role. By refusing to eat, the anorectic retards her body's normal sexual development and keeps her preadolescent shape. Subconsciously she may be trying to retreat from sexual maturity. Sometimes the anorectic has unresolved guilt feelings that can be traced to an early experience with sex.