Anorexia nervosa is a pattern of self-starvation brought about by fanatical dieting. It is most common among affluent, well-educated adolescent girls in developed countries, where the pressure to be slender is especially intense. To be diagnosed as anorexia, a girl must weigh at least 15 percent less than original body weight expected for her age and height; must show an intense fear of gaining weight; must show a disturbance in the way she experiences her body's weight, shape, or size; and must have missed at least three consecutive menstrual periods. The anorexic girl resembles a skeleton, with protruding ribs, a skull-like head, and claw like hands. In most case, she seems to enjoy the loss of each additional pound and denies that she is skinny. Yet she often is so malnourished that she must be hospitalized and forced to eat. Anorexia nervosa is an extremely dangerous disorder. The victim may starve herself to death or die from the medical complications of malnutrition