Experts say about 1% of young women in the United States are almost starving themselves today. They are suffering from a sickness called anorexia.

These young women have an abnormal fear of getting fat. They  1  starve themselves so they weigh at 15% less than their normal weight.

The National Institute of Mental Health says one  2  ten cases of anorexia leads to serious medical problems. These patients can die from heart failure or the disease can lead young women to  3  themselves. For example, former gymnast Christy Henrich died at age 22. She weighed only 61 pounds.

A person with anorexia first develops joint and muscle problems. There is a lack of iron in the blood. As the sickness progresses, a young woman's breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure rates slow down. The important substance calcium is  4  from the bones, something causing bones to break. Sometimes the brain gets smaller, causing changes in at a person thinks and acts. Scientists say many patients have further mental and emotional problems. They have  5  opinions about themselves. They feel helpless. Their attempts to become extremely thin may represent efforts to take control of their lives. They may  6  dependent on illegal drugs. Some people also feel the need to continually repeat a(n)  7 . For example, they may repeatedly wash their hands although their hands are clean.

Anorexia is a serious eating  8 . If it is not treated on time, it can be fatal.