Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss (or lack of appropriate weight gain in growing children); difficulties maintaining an ...FacebookInstagramTwitterPinterestYouarehereHome/Learn/WhatareEatingDisorders?/InformationbyEatingDisorderAnorexiaNervosaAnorexianervosaisaneatingdisordercharacterizedbyweightloss(orlackofappropriateweightgainingrowingchildren);difficultiesmaintaininganappropriatebodyweightforheight,age,andstature;and,inmanyindividuals,distortedbodyimage.Peoplewithanorexiagenerallyrestrictthenumberofcaloriesandthetypesoffoodtheyeat.Somepeoplewiththedisorderalsoexercisecompulsively,purgeviavomitingandlaxatives,and/orbingeeat.Anorexiacanaffectpeopleofallages,genders,sexualorientations,races,andethnicities.Historiansandpsychologistshavefoundevidenceofpeopledisplayingsymptomsofanorexiaforhundredsorthousandsofyears. Althoughthedisordermostfrequentlybeginsduringadolescence,anincreasingnumberofchildrenandolderadultsarealsobeingdiagnosedwithanorexia.Youcannottellifapersonisstrugglingwithanorexiabylookingatthem.Apersondoesnotneedtobeemaciatedorunderweighttobestruggling.Studieshavefoundthatlarger-bodiedindividualscanalsohaveanorexia,althoughtheymaybelesslikelytobediagnosedduetoculturalprejudiceagainstfatandobesity.DIAGNOSTICCRITERIATobediagnosedwithanorexianervosaaccordingtotheDSM-5,thefollowingcriteriamustbemet:Restrictionofenergyintakerelativetorequirementsleadingtoasignificantlylowbodyweightinthecontextofage,sex,developmentaltrajectory,andphysicalhealth.Intensefearofgainingweightorbecomingfat,eventhoughunderweight.Disturbanceinthewayinwhichone'sbodyweightorshapeisexperienced,undueinfluenceofbodyweightorshapeonself-evaluation,ordenialoftheseriousnessofthecurrentlowbodyweight.EvenifalltheDSM-5criteriaforanorexiaarenotmet,aseriouseatingdisordercanstillbepresent.Atypicalanorexiaincludesthoseindividualswhomeetthecriteriaforanorexiabutwhoarenotunderweightdespitesignificantweightloss.Researchstudieshavenotfoundadifferenceinthemedicalandpsychol