Many people still fail to recognize that anorexia, as well as eating disorders as a whole, are mental disorders. Characterized by an obsession with food restriction, weight loss, and a need to be thin, anorexia typically sets in after a major life change or highly stressful event; it is often associated with anxiety or depression.

According to 2011 statistics, some 20 million women and 10 million men in the US were estimated to suffer from a significant eating disorder, including anorexia.