Final answer:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder marked by an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted body image, leading individuals to maintain a dangerously low body weight through restrictive eating behaviors and excessive exercise.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a distorted body image, fear of becoming fat, and a serious loss of weight associated with refraining from eating food or purging after eating. Individuals with this disorder maintain body weight that is well below average through starvation and/or excessive exercise.
They often have an unrealistic perception of their own body weight, seeing themselves as overweight even when they are significantly underweight. This misperception is known as body dysmorphia, which is very common in people with anorexia nervosa. In addition to the risk of severe malnutrition and health problems, there are psychological issues such as anxiety disorders and mood disorders that are associated with anorexia nervosa.