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Eating Disorder Statistics

12 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team

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CONTENTS

The social glorification of thinness is the most recognized environmental component in the rise of eating disorders.

By the age of six, girls in particular begin to show worries about their weight or physique. Forty to sixty percent of primary school girls (ages 6 to 12) are worried and concerned about their weight or being overweight. This major worry lasts a lifetime.

Seventy-nine percent of weight loss program participants reported eating additional food to combat weight stigma.

Sixty-nine percent of American primary school girls who read magazines claim the images affect their conception of the ideal body form. Forty-seven percent think the images inspire them to lose weight.

Family members and peers ridicule, tease, taunt and harass up to 40 percent of overweight females and 37 percent of overweight males about their weight. Weight teasing is a reliable indicator of weight increase, extreme weight control efforts, and binge eating.

The relationship between weight-based harassment among overweight kids and negative attitudes toward sports, lower levels of physical activity, and decreased involvement in physical exercise in overweight students has been established. Those who encounter weight-based social stigma among overweight and obese adults indulge in binge eating more frequently, are at higher risk for body image concerns and eating disorder symptoms, and are much more likely to be diagnosed with binge eating disorder.

Children of parents who are excessively worried about their weight are more likely to adopt their mothers’ harmful attitudes and practices.

The stigma associated with a weight poses a substantial hazard to physical and psychological health. It is a known risk factor for low self-esteem, depression, and body dissatisfaction.

Low self-esteem is a feature shared by many individuals with eating disorders.

Reported weight discrimination is highly related to a current diagnosis of anxiety and mood disorders, as well as the utilization of mental health treatments.

Each individual has a unique relationship with food. It is a source of pleasure, comfort, enjoyment, and sustenance for some. Others may have a bad or even detrimental attachment to food. Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions characterized by an inappropriate relationship with food. Eating disorders are caused by the consequences of another mental condition, negative body image in the media, genetics, and trauma.

At least 1 person dies every 52 minutes as a direct consequence of an eating disorder.

In their lives, at least 30 million US adults suffer from an eating disorder.

Anorexia death rate is 5 percent in each decade, which is the highest mortality rate for eating disorders and in fact, for all mental disorders.

Anorexic adolescents between the ages of 15 and 24 have 10 times the mortality risk of their peers of the same age.

Eating disorders are the third most prevalent kind of chronic illness among female adolescents. Eating disorders affect men and women of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The lifetime prevalence of anorexia amongst American women is 0.9 percent.

The lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa among American women is 1.5 percent.

In their lifetime, 2.8 percent of American people suffer from binge eating disorder.

A high number of US military members are affected by eating problems.

In a longitudinal study of active duty military members, 5.5 percent of women and 4 percent of men had an eating problem at the commencement of the research, and 3.3 percent more women and 2.6 percent more men had an eating disorder within several years of sustained service.

From 2000 to 2018, the global prevalence of eating disorders rose from 3.4 percent to 7.8 percent. (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019)

Seventy million people worldwide suffer from eating problems. (National Eating Disorders Association)

The prevalence of eating disorders in Japan is the highest in Asia, next by Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea. (International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2015)

In 2012, Austria had the highest occurrence in Europe, at 1.55 percent. (Psychology Today)

Nearly half of all Americans have an acquaintance with an eating disorder. (South Carolina Mental Health Department)

About 30 million Americans are affected by an eating disorder. (National Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Association)

In the United States, eating disorders are the 3rd most common chronic condition among adolescent females. (International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 2007)

In the United States, 10 million men will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. (National Association for Eating Disorders)

The prevalence rate of eating disorders is greatest among people with binge eating disorders (5.5 percent versus 2.0 percent for bulimia and 1.2 percent for anorexia). (Biological Psychiatry, 2007)

Approximately one person dies every hour due to an eating disorder. (Eating Disorders Coalition, 2016)

The highest death rate of all mental conditions is associated with eating disorders. (Smink, F. E., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W., 2012)

Anorexia is the deadliest mental disorder. According to one study, individuals with anorexia are fifty-six times more likely to commit suicide than individuals without an eating disorder. (Eating Disorders Coalition, 2016)

Up to fifty percent of individuals with eating disorders abused alcohol or illegal substances at a rate 5 times greater than the general public. (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 2003)

The great majority (97 percent) of hospitalized individuals with an eating disorder also have a co-occurring medical condition. The primary underlying illness is mood disorders, like major depression, accompanied by anxiety disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance use disorder. (Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 2014)

Patients with diabetes with an eating disorder struggle to control their diabetes, putting them at risk for diabetic consequences such as stroke, heart disease, loss of vision, neuropathy, and kidney disease.

Anorexia is the most lethal mental illness. One study found that people with anorexia are 56 times more likely to take their own lives than people without an eating condition.

One-fourth of individuals with anorexia are male. Men have a higher mortality risk since they are diagnosed significantly later than women. This may be due in part to the false belief that men do not suffer from eating problems. (Eating Disorders Resource Catalogue, 2014)

OCD coexists with anorexia nervosa in up to 69 percent of cases and bulimia nervosa in up to 33 percent of cases.

56 percent of those with anorexia nervosa meet the criteria for at least one other mental health disorder, according to a nationally representative sample.

32-39 percent of individuals with anorexia nervosa are also labeled with major depressive disorder.

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed in 48-51 percent of those with anorexia nervosa.

Recurrent episodes of ingesting abnormally large quantities of food in a short period define binge eating disorder. An individual with a binge eating disorder often feels helpless over binge eating and may experience embarrassment as a result.

The most prevalent eating disorder in the United States is binge eating disorder (National Eating Disorders Association)

The lifetime prevalence of binge eating disorder is approximately 3 percent. (Biological Psychiatry, 2007)

The lifetime prevalence of binge eating disorder in the United States is 3.5 percent for women and 2 percent for men, making it 3 times more prevalent than anorexia and bulimia combined. (Biological Psychiatry, 2007)

Less than half (43.6 percent) of individuals with binge eating disorders will be treated. (Osteopathic Family Physician, 2013)

As of 2001-2004, eating disorders were more prevalent among young women (3.8 percent) than men (1.5 percent) in the United States. (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Journal, 2010)

Thirteen percent of women over the age of 50 worldwide exhibit eating disorder symptoms. (International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2012)

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa had median onset ages of 18 and 21, respectively. (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Journal, 2010)

As of 2001-2004, the prevalence rate of eating disorders among teenagers in the United States was 2.7 percent. (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010)

The prevalence of eating disorders was highest among 17- to 18-year-old adolescents (3 percent). (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Journal, 2010)

Over 8 years, researchers tracked 496 adolescent girls in a U.S. city and discovered that at the age of 20:

Over five percent of the females met the diagnostic criteria for anorexia, binge eating disorder, or bulimia.
Considering non-specific eating disorder symptoms, over 13 percent of the females had suffered an eating disorder. (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2010)

Eating disorders are more likely to affect women who are physically disabled.

Autism is present in 20–30 percent of adults with eating disorders.

Children and teenagers with eating disorders are 3–10% more likely to have autism.

High degrees of autistic characteristics are present in 20 percent of anorexic females. There is some evidence to suggest that the existing eating disorder treatment strategies are mostly ineffective for these women.

When it comes to disordered eating, ADHD is the diagnosis that is most frequently overlooked.

Compared to non-athletes, athletes report engaging in more excessive exercise.

Although athletes are more likely than non-athletes to test positive for an eating problem, the prevalence rates for all likely eating disorder diagnoses are comparable.

Due to stigma, accessibility issues, and restrictions specific to their activity, athletes may be less inclined to seek help for an eating disorder.

Male athletes are also at risk, particularly those who compete in sports that frequently place a strong emphasis on nutrition, size, appearance, and weight, even though the majority of athletes with eating disorders are female. Approximately 33 percent of male athletes are impacted in weight-class sports (wrestling, horseracing, rowing) and aesthetic sports (gymnastics, bodybuilding, diving, swimming). Estimates of the prevalence of disordered eating among female athletes in aesthetic and weight class sports go up to 62 percent.

41.5 percent of female high school athletes who participated in aesthetic sports reported having an eating disorder. Compared to athletes who participated in aesthetic sports and did not indicate disordered eating, they were 8 times more likely to sustain an injury.

According to one study, 58 percent of female college athletes and 38 percent of male players were at risk for bulimia nervosa, whereas 35 percent of female college athletes and 10 percent of male college athletes were in danger of anorexia nervosa.

Dancers and the most accomplished college athletes are more likely to suffer from eating disorders than other athletes, especially those who participate in sports that emphasize the importance of a lean body or weight restriction (wrestling, figure skating, rowing).

Approximately two-thirds of anorexics exhibited symptoms of an anxiety problem several years before the onset of their eating condition.

Childhood obsessive-compulsive qualities, such as perfectionism, having to obey the rules, and fear of making errors, were significantly more prevalent in women who developed eating disorders than in women who did not.

A study of over 2400 patients hospitalized for an eating problem revealed that 97% had one or more co-occurring disorders, such as:

Ninety-four percent of patients had concurrent mental disorders, primarily major depression.
Fifty-six percent were identified as having anxiety disorders
Twenty percent had obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Twenty-two percent exhibited symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
Twenty-two percent had a substance or alcohol use disorder

Approximately 1 in 4 individuals with an eating disorder exhibit post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

36.8 percent of hospitalized women with an eating disorder regularly engage in self-harm.

1 in 5 women seeking medical treatment for an eating disorder exhibited six or more symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to research published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 2009.

People with eating disorders are also typically affected by personality disorders.

Among anorexic patients,

Restricting type: Twenty percent exhibited symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and 10 percent exhibited borderline personality disorder symptoms.
Binge-purge type:12 percent had an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and 25 percent had a borderline personality disorder
Among those with bulimia: Eleven percent of bulimics had an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and 28 percent had a borderline personality disorder.

Combining and analyzing data from 20 prior investigations, a 2014 study identified indications of personality problems in individuals.

According to the study, among the thirty-eight percent of those with EDNOS/OSFED:

Eleven percent were diagnosed with an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Twelve percent had a borderline personality disorder

Among the thirty percent of individuals with binge eating disorder:

10 percent had an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
10 percent were diagnosed with borderline personality disorder

Depression and other mood problems frequently co-occur with eating disorders.

The risk of developing the obsessive-compulsive disorder is significantly raised among those with eating disorders.

73.8 percent of people with binge eating disorders had at minimum one additional psychiatric disorder in their lifetime, and 43.1 percent had at least one psychiatric disorder at the time of the study. The most prevalent lifetime problems were anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. The most prevalent current comorbidities were anxiety and mood disorders.

Binge eating disorder Patients with a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis exhibited significantly greater levels of current eating disorder psychopathology, negative affect, and worse self-esteem than binge eating disorder patients without a co-occurring condition.

Certain mental illnesses, notably mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and personality disorders, are frequently seen in individuals with eating disorders, with numbers increasing from 42 percent to 75 percent.

95 percent of respondents with bulimia nervosa, and 79 percent of those with binge eating disorder, according to a nationally representative sample. 64 percent of individuals with bulimia nervosa fulfilled the criteria for 3 or more co-occurring mental illnesses.

Ninety-four percent of women with eating disorders had a co-occurring mood condition, according to research. Ninety-two percent of the sample population suffered from a depressive condition.

36-50 percent of those with bulimia nervosa and 33 percent of individuals with binge eating disorder are also labeled with major depressive disorder.

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed in 55-65 percent of those with binge eating disorder and 54-81 percent of those with bulimia nervosa.

As per the National Eating Disorders Association, due to the effects of eating disorders on the mind and body, effective treatments typically include nutritional and psychological counseling and monitoring.

There are numerous forms of treatment for eating problems. “here are inpatient programs, outpatient programs, and day therapy programs. The majority of my patients with eating disorders are high-functioning perfectionists who respond well to a combination of psychotherapy, nutrition counseling, and occasionally psychopharmacology.

Sixty percent of people who receive therapy for an eating issue make a full recovery. However, just one in ten individuals with an eating issue will seek therapy.

Eating Disorder

FAQs

How Many Women Have Eating Disorders

The exact number of women with eating disorders is not known. To give you an indication of the burden, at least 9 percent of people worldwide suffer from eating disorders. In their lifetime, 28.8 million Americans, or 9 percent of the country’s population will experience an eating disorder.
Compared to men, women had a 1.75–3 times higher lifetime prevalence of BED, anorexia, or bulimia. At some point during their lives, at least one form of eating disorder—and possibly more than one—will have developed in about 20 million American women. Among females aged 13 to 18 (3.8 percent) as opposed to boys (1.5 percent), eating problems were more than twice as common. With age, prevalence slightly rose.

Which Eating Disorder Has The Highest Mortality Rate

According to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, anorexia nervosa is a widespread eating disorder that has been connected to the highest death rate of all mental conditions. Sadly, one in five anorexics who pass away commit suicide.

How Many People Die Of Anorexia

The second most lethal mental condition after the opioid overdose is eating disorders. An estimated 10,200 deaths from anorexia per year occur as a direct cause of the eating disorder, or one fatality every 52 minutes.

HOW THE BALANCE CAN HELP WITH Eating Disorder

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