Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous eating disorder. It’s incredibly treacherous—in fact, it’s the leading cause of death in young women aged 15 to 24. The most mysterious thing about Anorexia is that the sufferer sees herself as “too fat,” even when she has starved herself to the point that she’s near death, and looks skeletal to others. How can we make sense of this bizarre and often fatal misperception? Some treatment professionals compare it to addiction. In fact, anorexia and addiction do have much in common—the most important commonality being the central role of denial.
