Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder mostly affects adolescent girls, and has an increasing incidence in adolescent boys. It is characterized by refusing to stay at even the minimum body weight considered normal for the person's age and height. Other symptoms and characteristics include an intense fear of weight gain, low self-esteem, distorted body image and self-image, and inadequate eating or excessive exercising results in severe weight loss

(Med-Line Plus, n.d.)

Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height, for example, weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected body weight

Intense fear of gaining weight

Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.



Two Subtypes of Anorexia Nervosa