Which eating disorder is characterized by extreme weight loss?

• A. Anorexia nervosa
• B. Bulimia nervosa
• C. Binge eating disorder
• D. Orthorexia

Answer: (A)

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme weight loss due to self-imposed starvation and an intense fear of gaining weight. Individuals with this eating disorder often have a distorted body image, viewing themselves as overweight even when they are significantly underweight. This disorder can lead to severe physical health complications as the body is deprived of essential nutrients needed for proper functioning. While bulimia nervosa involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors, such as vomiting or excessive exercise, and binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food without associated purging behaviors, neither of these primarily results in extreme weight loss. Orthorexia, while focused on food quality and purity, does not inherently result in extreme weight loss either. Therefore, anorexia nervosa is the best answer to the question about an eating disorder characterized by extreme weight loss.