Which statement best defines anorexia?

Which statement best defines anorexia?

• A. Purging food after meals.
• B. A binge-eating disorder.
• C. Starving oneself.
• D. Overeating only during stress.

Answer: (C)

Anorexia nervosa centers on restricting how much food a person eats, to the point where body weight becomes significantly low. This restriction is driven by a strong fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one’s body size. Among the options, starving oneself best captures that restrictive pattern, which is the hallmark of anorexia. Purging after meals is more typical of bulimia or binge-purge patterns, a binge-eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of eating large amounts with a sense of loss of control but not the persistent restriction and underweight, and overeating during stress describes a less specific emotional eating pattern rather than the pronounced restriction seen in anorexia.

Anorexia nervosa centers on restricting how much food a person eats, to the point where body weight becomes significantly low. This restriction is driven by a strong fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one’s body size. Among the options, starving oneself best captures that restrictive pattern, which is the hallmark of anorexia. Purging after meals is more typical of bulimia or binge-purge patterns, a binge-eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of eating large amounts with a sense of loss of control but not the persistent restriction and underweight, and overeating during stress describes a less specific emotional eating pattern rather than the pronounced restriction seen in anorexia.