Anorexia nervosa—usually just called anorexia—is a serious eating disorder. Individuals with anorexia do not eat enough and have an intense fear of being fat. Although the term anorexia nervosa means "no appetite, caused by nervousness," most people with anorexia do feel hunger but take extreme steps to ignore it, often to the point of starvation.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes a severe and strong fear of gaining weight. You may have an altered view of being fat even when you are dangerously thin. You may use extreme exercise, calorie and food limitations, or binging and purging to control your weight. It may give you a sense of control in your life.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterized by a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. Anorexia can result in unhealthy, often dangerous weight loss. In fact, the desire to lose weight may become more important than anything else.