Denial of Hunger and Refusal to Eat

Anorexia is characterized by irregular eating habits and a lack of appetite. The continual denial of hunger and reluctance to eat are characteristics of the restricted form of anorexia. This behavior may be influenced by a variety of things. First, hormonal abnormalities can cause persons with anorexia to refuse to eat because they are always afraid of putting on weight. Two hormones that are important in reducing fear include oxytocin and estradiol.

It might be challenging to get over the ongoing dread of food and fat since anorexics often have low amounts of these hormones. The refusal to eat may be influenced by abnormalities in the hormones that regulate appetite and fullness, such as cortisol and peptide YY. People who have anorexia may discover that losing weight makes them feel better than eating, which may encourage them to keep eating less.