Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by excessive weight loss and/or restriction of food. Fundamentally, anorexia acts as an attempt to cope with a distorted — and very negative — self-image regarding body shape and features, as well as psychological aspects of self-worth.

Symptoms of anorexia nervosa can include (but are not limited to):

• Extremely restricted eating
• Extreme thinness (emaciation)
• An obsessive pursuit of thinness
• An unwillingness to sustain a healthy weight
• Immense fear of weight gain
• Distorted body image
• Self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight and shape
• Denying the seriousness of low body weight