anorexia nervosa

noun

anorexia ner·vo·sa | \ -(ˌ)nər-ˈvō-sə,

-zə\

Definition of anorexia nervosa

: a serious disorder in eating behavior primarily of young women 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

Examples of anorexia nervosa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 expanded the clinical definition of anorexia nervosa to include overweight and obese teenagers who develop disordered eating. — Amy Mccarthy, Good Housekeeping, "Why You Shouldn't Assume That Only Thin People Can Have Eating Disorders," 26 Feb. 2016 In addition to the genetic links between educational attainment and Alzheimer’s risk, the results link neuroticism to anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorders, MDD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). — Emily Willingham, Scientific American, "Analysis of a Million-Plus Genomes Points to Blurring Lines Among Brain Disorders," 22 June 2018 Besides schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, these include obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa and Tourette’s syndrome. — The Economist, "A big collaboration is trying to understand diseases of the psyche," 28 June 2018 This fear concerns clinical psychologist Melody Moore of Dallas, who reminds her patients that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, the most fatal mental disorder is anorexia nervosa. — Kelyn Soong, chicagotribune.com, "Runners spread awarness about eating disorders in their sport," 7 June 2018 For example, a 15-year-old with an eating disorder, particularly anorexia nervosa, has 10 times the risk of dying in her teen years compared to another teen who doesn't have an eating disorder, McLain said. — Gracie Bonds Staples, chicagotribune.com, "Residential facilities can be key in treating eating disorders," 29 Mar. 2018 That heart-wrenching statistic applies specifically to anorexia nervosa, which causes a person to severely limit their food intake. — Sarah Klein, Health.com, "9 Ways to Help a Friend With an Eating Disorder," 28 Feb. 2018 Oh My Girl’s first single since the withdrawal of former member JinE, who left the group due to ongoing health complications related to her struggle with anorexia nervosa. — Tamar Herman, Billboard, "Oh My Girl Dreams of Growing Their 'Secret Garden' in New Single," 10 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anorexia nervosa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

25 Nov 2018

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The first known use of anorexia nervosa was in 1873

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anorexia nervosa

noun

anorexia ner·vo·sa | \ -(ˌ)nər-ˈvō-sə, -zə

Medical Definition of anorexia nervosa

: a serious eating disorder primarily of young women 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