Eating disorder statistics and research about this common problem run scarce. However, sometimes you find an article on the web with some key information. Unfortunately, these prove hard to read because of medical jargon. Therefore, below is a collection of many of these truths about eating disorders, so you can see the problem more clearly.
Understanding Eating Disorder Statistics
The most common eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. Furthermore, we found eating disorder statistics about these problems and how they affect people in America.
In fact, anorexia affects up to 4.2 percent of women at some point in their lifetime. Bulimia also affects four percent of women during their lifespan. However, binge eating disorder statistics show data for both men and women, with 2.8 percent of American adults suffering this disorder during their lifetime.
However, women don’t make up the entire count for these disorders. Men suffer these conditions, too. Researchers only recently began digging into data about males with anorexia or bulimia.
About 0.3 percent of American men struggle with anorexia, 0.5 percent with bulimia, and two percent suffer other eating disorders.
Of all mental illnesses, anorexia results in the most deaths. Specifically, four percent of people with the disorder die from it. Bulimia follows anorexia, with 3.9 percent of people with the disorder dying from its effects. Moreover, these deaths usually involve complications that affect organs and systems throughout the body.
Binge eating disorder statistics for death prove scarce. However, all other combined eating disorders, including binge eating, result in 5.2 percent deaths for those affected.
General Statistics of Eating Disorders
About 10 million women and one million men live with an eating disorder in the U.S. Therefore, forty percent of Americans suffer these conditions or know someone who does.
About half of teen girls and just under one third of teen boys use unhealthy means of controlling their weight. For example, these include skipping meals, using laxatives, fasting, vomiting, or smoking cigarettes. Of all teens, about 2.7 percent struggle with a clear eating disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health.
In addition, one quarter of college age women binge and purge. About 13.5 percent of athletes engage in eating disorder activities or suffer an eating disorder. 42 percent of female athletes competing in sports related to their appearance, such as cheerleading, show eating disorder behaviors.
Receiving Treatment for Eating Disorders
As indicated by statistics above, too many people die from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorder complications.
Therefore, treatment is key in saving people from eating disorder related death. Sadly, only one third of people with anorexia get this help in the U.S. Furthermore, only six percent of people with bulimia gain treatment. However, about 43 percent of people with binge eating disorder enter rehab.
You can help yourself or someone you love survive and eating disorder. For example, treatment may include:
- Individual counseling
- Small group treatment for peer connections
- Residential rehab program
- Whole person wellness of body, mind, spirit and emotions
- Dual diagnosis treatment center care
- Relapse prevention
The Clearing on San Juan Island, Washington, provides all of these eating disorder treatments and methods. In fact, call The Clearing now at 425-678-3566 to learn more about our treatment programs.