A psychiatric disorder characterized by a distorted body image leading the person to believe that she is overweight even when she is dangerously underweight.

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder in which a person's (usually a girl's) distorted body image leads her to believe that she is overweight even when she is dangerously underweight. Anorectics employ a number of weight-loss strategies, including fasting, dieting, exercise, induced vomiting, and laxative abuse. A girl is considered anorexic when her weight drops below 85% of what is expected for her height and age. Anorexia typically affects adolescent girls; the average age of onset is 13.7 years. Girls with anorexia tend to be perfectionists with a deep-seated need to feel in control. Environmental factors may play a role in the development of anorexia. Although not all anorectics' family situations will fit these generalizations, parents of anorectics tend to be rigid and overprotective...