Characterized by severe restriction of food intake resulting in significant weight loss, and may or may not include purging behaviors, such as vomiting, use of diet pills or laxatives, and/or excessive exercise. Characteristics of those suffering from anorexia may include the following: intense fear of fat, distorted body image, preoccupation with diet/calories/weight/exercise, depression and mood disturbances, and loss of self-esteem. Physical effects may include malnutrition, loss of hair, muscle cramps, dehydration, dizziness and fainting, kidney impairment, cessation of menstruation, infertility, altered brain function, cardiac irregularities, and in the most severe cases (10-15%), death.