Eating disorders in general
According to a 10-year study by the National Association
of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 86% of sufferers
report the onset of their illness by the age of 20. Of these,
10% report the illness at the age of 10 or younger, 33% between
the ages of 11-15, and 43% between the ages of 16-20.
The same study revealed that 77% of sufferers said the duration
of their illness lasted from 1-15 years. Of these, 30% reported
the duration as being from 1-5 years, 31% from 6-10 years,
and 16% from 11-15 years.
According to The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness,
approximately 70 million people worldwide have an eating disorder.
A.N.A.D. puts the figure at 7 million for the United States
alone.
A.N.A.D. also reports that approximately 1 million boys and
men suffer from an eating disorder in the United States.
Anorexia nervosa
A.N.R.E.D. claims that roughly 1% of female adolescents
in the United States have anorexia.
The mortality rate for anorexia is higher than any other
psychological disorder (not just eating disorders).
Approximately 90% of anorexia and bulimia sufferers are female.
Although the figure of 10% for males seems low, it is gradually
on the increase.
According to the Harvard Eating Disorders Center, a young woman
with anorexia is 12 times more likely to die than other
women her age without anorexia. |
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Bulimia nervosa
According to A.N.R.E.D., approximately 4% of college-aged
women in the United States are bulimic. However, Rader Programs
puts this figure much higher at 19%. The reality may lay somewhere
in-between.
Approximately 5.1% of women in college in the United States suffer from bulimia.
Approximately 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are female (N.E.D.A.).
Binge-eating disorder/compulsive overeating
A study in Drugs and Therapy Perspectives reports that
1% of women in the United States have binge-eating disorder.
The same study concludes that up to 30% of women seeking treatment
for obesity are suffering from binge-eating disorder.
Studies suggest that 60% of American adults are overweight.
At least 20% of overweight Americans are clinically obese.
Recovery and mortality rates
According to A.N.R.E.D., without treatment up to 20% of people
with serious eating disorders die. However, with treatment that
figure falls to two or three percent.
A.N.R.E.D. also claims that around 60% of sufferers who
are treated will recover (in that they are able to maintain
a healthy weight and a varied diet). Even with treatment, approximately
20% of eating disorders sufferers only make partial recoveries.
The remaining 20% show no significant improvement, even with
treatment. |
