anorexia nervosa

anorexia ner·vo·sa   (nûr-vō'sə)    n.  A psychophysiological disorder usually occurring in young women that is characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, a distorted self-image, a persistent unwillingness to eat, and severe weight loss. It is often accompanied by self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, malnutrition, amenorrhea, and other physiological changes. [New Latin anorexia nervōsa : anorexia, anorexia + nervōsa, feminine of nervōsus, nervous.]

anorexia nervosa [(an-uh-rek-see-uh nur-voh-suh)]

A psychosomatic disorder in which the sufferer refuses to eat and undertakes activities (such as self-induced vomiting) to bring about extreme weight loss. Anorexia, which is also characterized by a distorted self-image, occurs most often in young women aged twelve to twenty-one and may result in death if medical treatment is not obtained. Treatment for anorexia often includes extensive counseling to reveal underlying emotional problems.

Main Entry: anorexia ner·vo·sa
Pronunciation: -(")n&r-'vO-s&, -z&
Function: noun
: a serious eating disorder primarily of youngwomen in their teens and early twenties that is characterized especially by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss

anorexia nervosa anorexia nerv·o·sa (nûr-vō'sə)
n.
A psychophysiological disorder usually occurring in teenage women, characterized by fear of becoming obese, a distorted self-image, a persistent aversion to food, and severe weight loss and often marked by hyperactivity, self-induced vomiting, amenorrhea, and other physiological changes.