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Anorexia and Medical Cannabis

Anorexia is a mental health condition where someone intensely fears weight gain and may severely restrict their food intake, exercise excessively, or use other methods to try to control their weight. This can lead to a dangerously low body weight and serious health problems. The constant worry about weight and body image can also cause anxiety, isolation, and depression. Talking therapy is often the first step in anorexia treatment. It helps individuals understand and cope with the underlying thoughts and feelings that contribute to actions taken to lose or maintain a low weight. If traditional therapies haven’t fully addressed the anxiety, depression, or social phobia that can sometimes accompany anorexia, medical cannabis might be a potential alternative.

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental health condition where people try to lose weight or keep their weight low, leading to a dangerously low body weight. The most common way is eating less food. Some people also try to burn more energy, for example by exercising a lot, taking stimulants (substances that speed up the body), or purging (making themselves sick or using laxatives).

Anorexia harms physical health, but it can also deeply affect a person’s feelings, thoughts and social life. Many people with anorexia see their body shape or weight differently from how it really is.

Doctors measure low body weight using body mass index (BMI), which compares weight with height. In adults, low body weight means a BMI under 18.5kg/m2. In children and young people, it means a BMI lower than 95 out of 100 others of the same age and sex (below the 5th percentile). Anorexia can affect people of all genders and ages, but it is most common in young women and usually starts in the mid-teenage years.

Anorexia and Medical Cannabis: The Facts

1 in 20

people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder, an estimated 3.5 million. [1]

83%

of people treated in hospital for anorexia as teenagers had experienced anxiety or depression at some point in their lives. [2]

Types of Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is one condition, but doctors often describe two patterns. In the restricting pattern, people lose weight mainly by eating very little or exercising a lot. In the binge-purge pattern, people also sometimes eat a large amount of food and then try to get rid of it, for example by making themselves sick.

Doctors may also describe how severe anorexia is, based on how low a person’s body weight is.

As people with anorexia can lose weight in different ways, it can share features with other eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. A key principle is that people with anorexia have a low body weight. Some people have many signs of anorexia but are not underweight. Doctors may call this atypical anorexia or another type of eating disorder.

What Causes Anorexia?

There is no single cause for anorexia or other eating disorders. It usually develops from a mix of things, including a person’s genes, their thoughts and feelings, and what happens around them. Observational research suggests a person may be more likely to develop anorexia if they:

  • Have a family member who has had an eating disorder, depression or an addiction to alcohol or drugs
  • Have had negative comments about their body size or shape, or been criticised for their eating habits
  • Feel pressure about their weight or appearance because of their job
  • Have anxiety or low self-esteem
  • Have an obsessive personality or strive for perfection, even when it is unrealistic
  • Have experienced sexual abuse

Socio-cultural factors also play a part. Media images and ideas about the “ideal” body are thought to raise the risk, and anorexia appears to be more common in Western countries.

What are the Symptoms of Anorexia?

The early signs of an eating disorder like anorexia are often small changes in behaviour. Friends and family may notice these before any weight loss is clear.

Behavioural Signs of Anorexia

  • Eating less, by cutting out certain foods or having smaller portions
  • A strong, constant fear of gaining weight
  • Avoiding eating with others.
  • Cutting food into small pieces and/or eating very slowly.
  • Binge eating and/or causing themselves to be sick.
  • Taking medications and/or supplements with the intention of losing weight.
  • Saying that they are fat or overweight when the opposite is obvious.
  • Wearing clothing that hides their weight loss.
  • Denying they have lost weight, or that their weight loss is serious.

Physical Symptoms of Anorexia

  • Extreme weight loss, or in children, not gaining weight or growing as expected
  • Muscle loss, weakness and feeling very tired
  • Hair and nails that become brittle
  • Yellowing and dryness of the skin
  • Fine, soft hair growing all over the body (called lanugo). The body grows this to keep warm when there isn’t enough body fat
  • Constipation
  • Low blood pressure
  • Slowed breathing and pulse rate
  • Damage to the structure of the heart which affects its function
  • Consistently feeling cold
  • Infertility
  • Periods that become irregular or stop, or periods not starting in girls and young women
  • In severe cases, brain damage and failure of several organs, which can be life-threatening

Treatment Options for Anorexia

Treatment for anorexia nervosa depends on a few things, including the person’s age and how severe the illness is. Treatment is different for people under 18.

Adult Anorexia Treatment Options

For adults, talking therapies are usually the first step. Options include:

  • Eating-disorder-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-ED): Helps individuals identify negative thought patterns, improve their relationship with food, and build healthy coping mechanisms.
  • Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA): Focuses on underlying emotional and cognitive factors, allowing individuals to progress towards change at a manageable pace with optional family support.
  • Specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM): Combines supportive therapy with practical nutritional education to restore healthy physical habits.
  • Eating-disorder-focused focal psychodynamic therapy (FPT): Explores how past experiences and deep-seated emotions affect current behaviours. It may be offered if the other therapies are not suitable or have not helped. [3]

People will also have a structured eating plan alongside therapy, but this is not a treatment on its own. People with a very low weight or serious physical health problems may need care in hospital. This keeps them safe while they start eating more, because increasing food too quickly can be dangerous.

Anorexia Treatment for Children and Young People

For children and young people, treatment usually involves their family. Options include:

  • Anorexia-focused family therapy (FT-AN): Involves the whole family and is usually the first treatment offered. It helps the whole family understand anorexia and gives parents and carers practical ways to support recovery at home.
  • Adolescent-focused psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa (AFP-AN): One-to-one therapy that may be offered if family therapy is not suitable or has not helped. It helps young people cope with the fear of gaining weight, understand what is behind their anorexia, and build healthy habits. Parents or carers may join some sessions.
  • Eating-disorder-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-ED): One-to-one therapy that may also be offered if family therapy is not suitable or has not helped. It helps young people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours around food, eating and weight. [3]

How Does Anorexia Affect People?

Anorexia affects far more than eating. It can take up a huge amount of mental energy, making it hard to concentrate at work or in education, and harder to enjoy things that once felt easy, like meals out, holidays, or time with friends. Many people describe feeling isolated, ashamed, or misunderstood, which can make it difficult to talk about what they are going through.

The impact is often felt by those around them too. Partners, parents, friends, and carers may feel worried or unsure how to help, and relationships can come under strain.

The experience varies from person to person, and recovery is rarely a straight line. Some people have periods of improvement followed by setbacks, while others live with symptoms for many years that affect their independence, wellbeing, and quality of life. Because anorexia often exists alongside other difficulties, such as anxiety and poor sleep, some people explore additional options with their healthcare team. To read about real patient experiences with medical cannabis prescribed for a range of conditions, visit our testimonials page.

"Life with medical cannabis is hopeful, empowering, and present."

Fatma
FatmaCuraleaf Clinic Patient

Medical Cannabis and Anorexia

For many people with anorexia, anxiety and depression are a big part of the picture. Medical cannabis is not a treatment for anorexia itself, and it does not replace eating disorder care such as talking therapy and a structured eating plan. Research into medical cannabis for people with anorexia is at a very early stage.

We understand that anorexia is a complex condition. A specialist doctor can talk through whether medical cannabis is suitable for you, taking into account your physical health, your weight and your current treatment. Any decision should be made together with your eating disorder team.

You can check your eligibility for a consultation with a consultant psychiatrist online, for free.

Research Regarding Medical Cannabis and Anorexia

Clinical interest in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) continues to grow. The ECS is a signalling system in the body that helps to regulate mood, stress responses and eating behaviour.

So far, very few clinical trials have tested cannabinoids in people with anorexia. In one small trial in Denmark, women who had lived with severe anorexia for at least five years took dronabinol, a medicine based on THC (the main active compound in cannabis), and a placebo (dummy treatment) for four weeks each, alongside their usual care. On average, they gained a small amount of weight while taking dronabinol (0.73kg more than with the placebo), and it was well tolerated. However, it did not significantly change their eating disorder symptoms. [4]

Because these results come from one small, short study, they cannot tell us whether medical cannabis is safe or effective for people with anorexia in general.

Can I be Prescribed Medical Cannabis for Anorexia?

NHS prescriptions for medical cannabis are limited to a small number of conditions, which do not include anorexia. A private specialist doctor may consider medical cannabis for related symptoms, such as anxiety or depression, when licensed treatments haven’t helped enough or have caused difficult side effects. In the UK, only specialist doctors on the GMC’s Specialist Register can start a patient on medical cannabis. Curaleaf Clinic only sees adults aged 18 and over.

If you’re exploring whether medical cannabis is suitable for you, you can complete an initial eligibility assessment with Curaleaf Clinic. We will review your health and specialist records and, if appropriate, invite you to meet with a consultant psychiatrist to determine whether medical cannabis may be an appropriate part of your care plan.

References

[1] Beat. (2026). 1 in 20 people affected by eating disorders in UK, new figures show. Beat Eating Disorders. https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/news/1-in-20-people-affected-by-eating-disorders-in-uk-new-figures-show/

[2] Carrot, B., Radon, L., Hubert, T., Vibert, S., Duclos, J., Curt, F., & Godart, N. (2017). Are lifetime affective disorders predictive of long-term outcome in severe adolescent anorexia nervosa? European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(8), 969–978. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-0963-5

[3] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2017, updated 2020). Eating disorders: recognition and treatment (NICE guideline NG69). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng69

[4] Andries, A., Frystyk, J., Flyvbjerg, A., & Støving, R. K. (2014). Dronabinol in severe, enduring anorexia nervosa: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47(1), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22173

[5] Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724–731. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74

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Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions about Anorexia

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  • Remember that anorexia is a serious mental health condition. It is not a choice.
  • Be patient. Talk to them openly and kindly, without judging. Telling them to “just eat” won’t help.
  • Try not to comment on their weight, body or what they eat.
  • Offer help with everyday things, in whatever way they need.
  • Keep inviting them to spend time with friends and family and to join in with activities.
  • Encourage them to get help from their GP or a mental health professional, and to keep going to their appointments.
  • Remember that self-help books, such as the Overcoming book series, can support professional treatment but should not replace it.
  • Look after yourself too. Support groups, such as those run by the eating disorder charity Beat, can help you feel less alone.

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Anorexia has no single known cause. It is thought to develop from a mix of genes, personality traits such as perfectionism, and life experiences like trauma or pressure to be thin. People with a family history of eating disorders, anxiety or low self-esteem may be at higher risk.

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There is no medication that treats anorexia itself, and NICE advises that medication should not be the only treatment offered. [ 3] Anorexia is usually treated with talking therapies and education to help people understand their condition and how they can recover.

However, antidepressants are sometimes prescribed alongside therapy to treat other conditions, such as anxiety, depression or social anxiety.

An important component of treatment is a structured diet programme aimed at increasing nutrition and weight in a safe manner.

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Severe malnutrition affects every area and organ of the body. Those living with anorexia may experience muscle wastage, weakening of the bones (osteoporosis), and irregularities with the rhythm and structure of the heart.

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Anorexia is a serious mental health condition. It has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition, and around 1 in 5 deaths in people with anorexia are due to suicide. [ 5] With the right treatment and support, many people do recover. If you are worried about yourself or someone else, speak to your GP or call Beat’s helpline on 0808 801 0677.

Learn more about Anorexia