Eating Disorder Facts

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are reaching epidemic proportions: 10-15% of all Americans suffer from some type of serious eating disorder. At least 1/3 of all Americans are now considered to be obese and 60% are overweight.

These numbers are staggering when we consider that we live in the age of "fat-free" food and fitness. Anorexia, bulimia, and B.E.D. (Binge Eating Disorder) can affect anyone regardless of social class, age, race, or gender:

• 86% of people with eating disorders report onset of an eating disorder by age 20.
• 10% report onset at ten years or younger.
• According to Time magazine, 80% of all children have been on a diet by the time they've reached fourth grade.

Approximately 10% of all people with eating disorders are men. Many clinicians believe that this figure is underreported because many men are ashamed to admit that they may be suffering from something thought to affect only women. Newsweek magazine reported 40% of 131 Cornell University football players surveyed engaged in eating disordered behaviors (bingeing and purging), with 10% classified as having clinical eating disorders. Many men suffer from bulimia under the guise of "staying in shape" and use compulsive exercise as a form of purging.

"I only run 4-5 miles daily. I can't miss a day, or I'll feel depressed, or sluggish, or..." Men have the same issues with body image as do women. They want to be thin and look good to attract women. They may not want to look older or look like their fathers. The reasons are numerous.

Seventy-seven percent of individuals with eating disorders report that the illness can last anywhere from one to 15 years or even longer in some cases. It is estimated that approximately six percent of serious cases die. For many others, there are long-term, irreversible consequences which can affect one's physical and emotional health. Up to now, only 50% all people with this devastating disease report being cured.

The cost of treatment is staggering. If the disease becomes acute and the person needs expensive medical monitoring and treatment, the cost of in-patient treatment can be $30,000 or more per month. Many people will need repeated hospitalizations. This underlines the importance of early intervention before costs spiral to staggering levels.