Running head: Mental Illness Paper

Assignment: Mental Illness Paper

Name

Axia College of University of Phoenix

HCA 240

Date

 Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness whose main characteristic is extreme abnormalities in the afflicted individual's eating habits. The individual suffering from anorexia nervosa refuses to consume a sufficient amount of nourishment to maintain the minimum weight considered normal for his or her height and age. Insufficient weight along with an extreme fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of his or her body and shape are all characteristics of anorexia nervosa. (American Psychiatric Association,2000).  

 The diagnosis of anorexia nervosa is contingent on four criteria stipulated in the Diagnostic and Statistical...