Disorders often precede the development of anorexia nervosa and consequently may place a person at particular risk for the expression of the disorder.

The correct answer is anxiety disorders.

Psychological research has found that anxiety disorders are a risk factor and condition that can precede eating disorders. This is because people who are anxious are more likely to be perfectionists who want to be as thin as possible, which in turn leads them to obsess over their weight and food intake. Additionally, people with anxiety disorders are more likely to worry about how they are perceived, which leads them control their eating or purge in order to achieve a "desirable" body.