anorexia nervosa

anorexia ner·vo·sa  (nûr-vs)

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.

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[New Latin anorexia nervsa : anorexia, anorexia + nervsa, feminine of nervsus, nervous.]

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anorexia nervosa  (nûr-vs)

An eating disorder characterized by a distorted body image, fear of becoming obese, persistent aversion to food, and severe weight loss and malnutrition. It most commonly affects teenage girls and young women, who often develop amenorrhea, osteoporosis and other abnormalities.

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anorexia nervosa

a neurotic disorder charaeterized by refusal to eat and abnormal fear of obesity, seen especially in adolescent girls. — anorectic, anorexic, adj.

See also: Disease and Illness

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

anorexia nervosa - (psychiatry) a psychological disorder characterized by somatic delusions that you are too fat despite being emaciated psychiatry, psychological medicine, psychopathology - the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders anorexia - a prolonged disorder of eating due to loss of appetite