anorexic, anorectic

Both words, adjectives derived from anorexia meaning 'obsessive loss of appetite', are in use. but anorexic is far more common and will eventually oust anorectic completely. It is also used absolutely as a quasi-noun. Examples:

He became listless, anorexic, and increasingly sleepy, refusing to eat or crawl—Lancet, 1961

Contrary to the popular image of the disturbed teenager, the anorexic is not typically a product of a 'broken home'—S. Macleod, 1989

Do they think I'm anorexic, or just plain thin?—J. Dawson, 1990.

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