Nervous Absence of Appetite
The word ‘anorexia nervosa’ is a word of Greek origin and translates to ‘nervous absence of appetite”. In 1689, Richard Morton, an English physician wrote the first narrative of anorexia nervosa in a book describing cases of ‘nervous consumption” with symptoms including extreme fasting and loss of appetite.
It was in the 19th century, that the term “Anorexia Nervosa” was first coined by Sir William Gull. (Silverman, J. A., 1997). Simply known as anorexia, it is an extreme eating disorder. It is described by low weight, food restrictions, fear of food, and a negative outlook on one’s image. This complex disorder has been studied over the years from a wide perspective, ranging from genetic to psychological, social to clinical.
Other eating disorders are:
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
- Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder
- Pica
Read more about eating disorders here