Try googling "diagnostic criteria for anorexia" I'm sure the info will come up. Try to avoid wikipedia as that is not a reliable site. You can go to the www.nih.gov and look up anorexia. When you google things, try to go to medical sites and gov sites.

I looked up some the info and two main things stuck out to me. First symptom is the person must be 15% below body weight for their height and age. Second is that their menstrual cycle must be interrupted or not at all. There are other symptoms but those are the two main ones.

One thing I noticed was that there is some discussion that the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual is being challenged for its criteria for anorexia nervosa. Because there are so many people out there that don't fit the exact criteria and are being labeled as eating disorder not otherwise specified when they really do have anorexia or bulimia. But for now, clinicians are diagnosing people as anorexic even though they don't meet all the criteria. I think the only time it really matters is for the insurance companies benefits policy because they go by the DSM IV.

I hope this helps.

is sectioning sending someone with an ED to treatment without their consent?

yes, Missy

The NICE website has guidelines on treatment on anorexia and their site may well be worth checking, also checking out the mental health act,it very much also depends on circumstances around having "MENTAL CAPACITY" and is not always based on weight or BMI,I can vouch for that as I am sectionable on that alone, but because mentally I do not lack capacity, it would be difficult to section me and also I have an advance directive.That said, its far better to try and get help and if you are at the point of being sectioned, I would except to go in voluntary as that way you will retain your rights over treatment and are in a far better position to discuss what treatment you have, being forced into treatment rarely works and in my opinion can actually make people avoid doctors and treatment in the future.Hugs Chell