Important Eating Disorder Statistics

  • 35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25% progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders (Shisslak & Crago, 1995).
  • 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat (Mellin et al., 1991).
  • For female anorexics, aged 15-24 years, the mortality rate associated with their mental illness is twelve times higher than the death rate from ALL other causes of death (Sullivan, 1995).
  • Anorexia nervosa has the highest fatality rate of any mental illness (Sullivan, 1995).
  • In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder (Crowther et al., 1992; Fairburn et al., 1993; Gordon, 1990; Hoek, 1995; Shisslak et al., 1995).
  • Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women (Smolak, 1996).
  • Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).
  • It is estimated that currently 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.(Source: ANAD Ten Year Study. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.www.anad.org)
  • 1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating.
    National (Source: Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) guide, Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions)
  • 90 % of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25.
    (Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, The Center for Mental Health Services, offices of the US Department of Health and Human Services.)
  • Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents.(Source: Public Health Service's Office in Women's Health, Eating Disorder Information Sheet, 2000.)
  • 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.(Source: The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, "Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources," published September 2002, revised October 2003, www.renfrew.org.)
  • Eating Disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide.
    (source: The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources, published September 2002, revised October 2003, http://www.renfrew.org.
  • An estimated 10 to 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male. (source: Carlat, D.J. Camargo. Review of Bulimia in Males.American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1997) Additional Citations
    Crowther, J.H., Wolf, E.M., & Sherwood, N. (1992). Epidemiology of bulimia nervosa. In M. Crowther, D.L. Tennenbaum. S.E. Hobfoll, & M.A.P. Stephens (Eds.). The Etiology of Bulimia Nervosa: The Individual and Familial Context (pp. 1-26) Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Francis. Mellin, L., McNutt, S., Hu, Y., Schreiber, G.B., Crawford, P., &Obarzanek, E. (1991). A longitudinal study of the dietary practices of black and white girls 9 and 10 years old at enrollment: The NHLBI growth and health study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27-37. Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2005).I’m, Like, SO Fat! New York: The Guilford Press. pp. 5. Shisslak, C.M.,Crago, M., & Estes, L.S. (1995). The spectrum of eating disturbances.International Journal of Eating Disorders, 18 (3), 209-219. Sullivan, P. (1995). American Journal of Psychiatry, 152 (7), 1073-1074. Smolak, L. (1996). National Eating Disorders Association/Next Door Neighbors Puppet Guide Book.
  • 95-98% of people on diets gain the weight back (and more) within 3 years.
  • Many people suffering from an eating disorders state they were on a diet before they developed the eating disorder.
  • 1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating.
  • Up to 70 million people worldwide struggle with an eating disorder.
  • The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15-24 years old.
  • Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment.
  • 25% of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique.
  • 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight.
  • 80% of 13 year olds have attempted to lose weight.
  • AGE AT ONSET OF EATING DISORDER:
    (source: (ANAD 10 year study))
    •86% report onset of illness by the age of 20*
    •10% report onset at 10 years or younger
  • 33% report onset between ages of 11-15

•43% report onset between ages of 16-20

Statistics from : The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, "Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources," published September 2002, revised October 2003, http://www.renfrew.org.