Which of the following is characteristic of anorexia nervosa?

• A. Normal body weight
• B. Very low dietary intake
• C. Preoccupation with food
• D. Secretive eating

Answer: (C)

Anorexia nervosa is driven by an intense preoccupation with food and weight that leads to extreme restrictive eating and body image distortion. The best match among the options is this persistent focus on food, since thoughts about meals, portions, and food rules often dominate behavior and fuel the restriction.

While very low dietary intake is common, it’s a consequence of that preoccupation rather than the defining feature in this context. Normal body weight would be inconsistent with anorexia, and secretive eating isn’t unique to this disorder and doesn’t capture the central drive behind anorexia.