DefinitionBy Mayo Clinic staff Anorexia nervosa is an eating
disorder that causes people to obsess about their weight and the
food they eat. People with anorexia nervosa attempt to maintain
a weight that's far below normal for their age and height. To
prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with
anorexia nervosa may starve themselves or exercise excessively.
Anorexia (an-oh-REK-see-uh) nervosa isn't really about food.
It's an unhealthy way to try to cope with emotional problems.
When you have anorexia nervosa, you often equate thinness with
self-worth. Anorexia nervosa can be difficult to overcome. But
with treatment, you can gain a better sense of who you are,
return to healthier eating habits and reverse some of anorexia's
serious complications. - Eating disorders. Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM IV-TR. Arlington,
Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.
http://psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=3617. Accessed Oct.
19, 2011. - Forman SF. Eating disorders: E