Which of the following is a side effect of anorexia nervosa?

• A. Reproductive system problems
• B. Bulimia
• C. Anabolic steroids
• D. Eating disorder where a person stops eating to be thin

Answer: (A)

Severe restriction of food intake, as seen in anorexia nervosa, often causes the body to conserve energy and slow down many nonessential functions. The reproductive system is particularly sensitive to this energy deficit, so menstrual cycles can become irregular or stop altogether. This absence of periods, along with potential fertility effects, is a common reproductive-side effect of the condition.

Bulimia describes a different eating pattern (bingeing and purging) and isn’t a side effect of anorexia. Anabolic steroids are drugs and not a natural side effect of anorexia nervosa. The description of an eating disorder where a person stops eating to be thin is anorexia nervosa itself, not a side effect.