Definition of Anorexia nervosa (an, anorexia)

anorexia nervosa (AN, anorexia)
That eating disorder characterized by refusal to keep one’s body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for one’s age and height; an intense, irrational fear of weight gain or of becoming fat; and a misperception of the weight or shape of one’s body, an excessive influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of one’s subnormal weight status. In females who have experienced menarche, anorexia is further characterized by non-occurrence of natural menstruation for three consecutive months.