Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and severe weight loss due to a refusal to eat adequate amounts of food, as well as a distorted body image and an intense fear of gaining weight. It has both biological and sociocultural roots, as it is influenced by factors like heredity, serotonin dysregulation, and addiction to starvation chemicals, as well as Western beauty ideals promoting thinness and fat-phobia. Treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach including therapy, monitored diet and nutrition, and sometimes medications, to address both the physical and psychological aspects of the condition.