Anorexia Nervosa, mental illness in which a person has an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of their weight and body shape. People with this illness believe themselves to be fat even when their weight is so low that their health is in danger. A person with anorexia nervosa severely restricts food intake and usually becomes extremely thin. Although cases of self-starvation have been known since olden days, anorexia nervosa has become …showed first 75 words of 1376 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1376 total…than 20 percent suffer from a chronic eating disorder.. Little is known about preventing anorexia nervosa. Some professionals have developed prevention programs that combat the cultural emphasis on appearance and the identification of thinness with health, happiness, virtue, and power. These programs stress developing sources of self-esteem that are based on qualities other than physical appearance and promote acceptance of the natural diversity of body types. References 1) Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2) Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia 3) www.anred.com