What are two clinical indications that a patient may have anorexia nervosa?

A Body Mass Index (BMI) under 17.5 in an adult is a key clinical indication of anorexia nervosa. This measurement reflects significant underweight status, which is a hallmark symptom of the disorder. In individuals with anorexia nervosa, there is often an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, leading them to restrict their food intake excessively, which eventually results in a BMI below this threshold.

Assessment tools like BMI are crucial in diagnosing eating disorders, as they provide measurable criteria that can assist healthcare providers in identifying individuals at risk for severe health consequences associated with anorexia. Such low BMI levels can indicate malnutrition and other physical health issues, reinforcing the need for intervention.

Other options, such as consistent weight gain or a BMI over 25, contrast with the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, as they suggest normal weight or overweight conditions rather than the underweight necessary for this diagnosis. Heavy exercise and social withdrawal may be behaviors associated with the disorder but do not directly reflect the critical clinical indication of an unhealthy weight status represented by a very low BMI.