It's a Greek word. The prefix AN means without, the word OREXIS means appetite. Nervosa is Latin, feminine for Nervous. If you ask me, this is sexist, because 6% of anorexics are men. But, that's the word origins, anyway.
What Does Anorexia Mean?
Anorexia is an eating disorder that effects thousands of people. A person who has Anorexia Nervosa does not eat. If they do eat it is something very little like a piece of fruit or a cracker. They in their minds convince themselves they don't need to eat so they they loose weight. They have extremely low self esteem and will work out a lot, take diet pills and laxative to loose as much weight as possible.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where individuals refuse to maintain a healthy body weight, have an intense fear of gaining weight and possess a distorted body image.
Mealtimes for individuals with anorexia nervosa can be quite stressful, and typically these individuals will try and avoid eating in front of others. Food and weight become an obsession for those with anorexia nervosa and it occupies their whole day. Furthermore, these individuals feel they are never skinny enough, and thus the eating disorder takes
(The word after "anorexia" indicates the cause of the anexoria.)
From the internet:
a lack or loss of appetite for food (as a medical condition).
- an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat.
It is a
eating disorder in which you stop eating food because of the fear that
you will become fat. It is mostly seen in people who want to be thin.
You can read about it at Anorexia Nervosa: Definition, Types, Causes and Symptoms This website has got some real valuable content that might be helpful for you.