Eating Disorder Statistics

Eating disorder statistics are among the tools we can use to communicate the severity and pervasiveness of eating disorders to the general public.

Because of the secretiveness and shame associated with anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating, many cases are probably not included in eating disorder statistics. In addition, many individuals struggle with body dissatisfaction and sub-clinical disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. For example, Smolak (1996), an eating disorder researcher, has been shown that 80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance.

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health cites some additional interesting eating disorder statistics. They estimate that 8 million Americans (seven million women and one million men) have an eating disorder. Eating disorder statistics provided by the National Eating Disorder Association are even higher, and indicate that 10 million American women suffer from eating disorders.

Some other interesting eating disorder statistics:

One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia.
Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia.
An estimated 10-15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males.

How Dangerous are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) reported the following eating disorder statistics:

5-10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease and 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years.
Anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness (including major depression).
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.
Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die. With treatment, the mortality rate falls to 2-3%

How Many People Receive Treatment for an Eating Disorder?

Only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment. According to eating disorders statistics, about 80% of the girls/women who have accessed care for their eating disorders do not get the intensity of treatment they need to stay in recovery (they are often sent home weeks earlier than the recommended stay).

Treatment of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 per day to $2,800 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000,and it is estimated that individuals with eating disorders need anywhere from 3 to 6 months of inpatient care.

Eating Disorder Statistics for Children and Adolescents

Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.
50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight.
80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight.

Gurze Books has some fascinating eating disorder statistics on bulimia nervosa:

1.1% - 4.2% of females suffer from bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.
Up to 19% of college aged women in America are bulimic.
As many as 10% of college women suffer from a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder, including 5.1% who suffer from bulimia nervosa.
Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18% of women and 0.4% of men have a history of bulimia.

Obesity: A Growing Problem

61% of American adults are either overweight or obese.
One out of every five US adults is classified as obese (BMI of 30 or greater).
Between 1960 and 1994, overweight increased from 30.5 to 32% among adults ages 20-74 and obesity increased from 12.8 to 22.5%.

Body Image and Dieting

Roughly 25 million men and 43 million women are dieting to lose weight. Another 21 million men and 26 million women are dieting to maintain weight. In total, there are nearly 116 million adults dieting at any given time — representing about 55% of the total adult population.
91% of women surveyed on a college campus in the mid-90s had attempted to control their weight through dieting. 22% dieted "often" or "always."
35% of "normal dieters" progress to pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25% progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders.