Prevalence, Onset and Course of Eating Disorders
Bridget Engel, Psy.D., edited by Kathryn Patricelli, MAEating disorders are not as common as more familiar conditions like depression or anxiety, but they are not rare either. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that worldwide 70 million people have an eating disorder. Lifetime prevalence statistics suggest that about 0.4% of women and 0.04% of men will meet criteria for anorexia during their lifetimes. Between 1% and 5% of women will meet the criteria for bulimia during their lifetimes (as will between .01% and .05% of men). The prevalence rate for binge eating disorder is 1.6% in females and 0.8% in males. Binge-eating disorder shows much less of a difference between females and males, compared to the other two conditions.
Only about 10% of those diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia are male: (for every 10 females diagnosed, only 1 male is diagnosed). However, studies suggest that this may be because males are more likely to deny having eating problems and are less likely to seek help than women if they do have a disorder. Research also suggests that the number of males with eating disorders is increasing. Even though both genders experience eating disorders, the average age when the condition starts is lower for women than it is for men. Despite these important differences in frequency and starting age, there is agreement within the scientific community that eating disorders in male patients are very similar to those in females in terms of symptoms and effects.
Eating disorders typically begin in adolescence or early adulthood. Anorexia and Bulimia rarely begin before the age of puberty or after age 40. 90% of cases are diagnosed before age twenty, while fewer than 10% of all cases occur before age ten. Clearly, the stressful events of adolescence, including self-consciousness, puberty, and peer pressure, can play a big role in triggering these conditions. The start of an eating disorder is often associated with a stressful life event. This might be exposure to violence, family conflicts, stress at school, or loss. It does not seem to be associated with what race someone is or their socioeconomic status (whether one is rich or poor). Instead, these disorders are problems affecting people from all different backgrounds.
Experts believe that approximately 75%-80% suffer with these disorders for one to fifteen years. Between 6% and 20% of people with an eating disorder will die as a result of their disease. Some men and women, especially those who do not seek treatment, suffer for their entire lives. However, there is hope! A majority of those who seek treatment do recover to some degree. Data suggests that eating disorders which begin during the early teen years may be associated with a better outcome and recovery than those that begin later in life.
Young athletes are especially vulnerable to developing eating disorders. This is especially true for gymnasts, runners, body builders, rowers, wrestlers, jockeys, dancers, and swimmers. These individuals tend to be very competitive. Their sports also often require the practice of weight restriction. Because of this, disordered eating can be reinforced or rewarded. Developed eating disorders may go undetected in athletes because they tend to look healthier for longer than would otherwise be the case, and because specific and/or strict dieting is typically expected behavior.
Resources
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Articles
- What are Eating Disorders?
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Eating Disorder Causes and Maintaining Factors
- Causes of Eating Disorders - Biological Factors
- Causes of Eating Disorders - Biological Factors Continued
- Causes of Eating Disorders - Personality Traits and Missing Skills
- Causes of Eating Disorders - Family Influences
- Causes of Eating Disorders - Cultural Influences
- Eating Disorder Maintaining Factors
- Eating Disorder Maintaining Factors Continued
- Other Eating Disorder Maintaining Factors
- Characteristis of Eating Disorders
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Eating Disorder Treatment & Prevention
- Eating Disorder Professional Treatment - Nutritional Rehabilitation
- Eating Disorder Professional Treatment - Individual Psychotherapy
- Eating Disorder Professional Treatment - Individual Psychotherapy Continued
- Eating Disorder Professional Treatment - Inpatient and Residential
- Eating Disorder Professional Treatment - Group Therapy and Peer Support
- Eating Disorder Professional Treatment - Family Therapy
- Prevention of Eating Disorders
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Questions and Answers
- Eating Disorder or Overreacting?
- Please Help. I Criticize Myself Too Much and I Need to Stop.
- I Have Bulimia
- Heavy Load
- Eating
- Odd Eating Behavior
- Husband's Weight Problem
- Help
- Do I Have an Eating Disorder?
- When Psychotherapy Does Not Help
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19 more
- Teenaged girl at risk for Eating Disorders writes, "i want to be confidant with my body"
- Do I have an eating disorder?
- I am afraid to see a doctor about my problem because of my future profession!
- I am bulimic for more than 10 years, and it is killing me...
- I don't like to eat.
- Help?
- Where do i start to get on the road to recovery
- How can I change my life?
- Is this a eating disorder ?
- how can i get my former eating habit back
- Is This An Eating Disorder
- Is this an eating disorder?
- Am I a bulimic or not?
- I Sometimes Cut
- I Wanna Be Thin!
- Bulimic
- Odd Eating Disorder
- Elder Anorexia
- Eating Disorder?
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Book & Media Reviews
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Links
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Videos
- Anorexia: What Therapists and Parents Need to Know
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth # 1: You can tell by looking at someone
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth #9: Eating Disorders are for Life
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth #3: Mothers are to Blame
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth #2: Families are to Blame
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth #8: Genes are Destiny
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth #7: Society Alone to Blame
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth # 6: Eating Disorders are Benign
- Eating Disorders Myths Busted- Myth #4: Eating Disorders are a Choice
- Myth # 5: Eating Disorders are the province of white upper-middle class teenage girls
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11 more
- Mental Health Minute: Eating Disorders
- Pediatrics: Child Eating Disorders - Part 2
- Pediatrics: Child Eating Disorders - Part 1
- Not Falling For It: How to Challenge Toxic Media Messages about Food, Weight, and Body Image
- Eating Disorder Treatment Blogging Series - Part 1
- Eating Disorder Treatment Blogging Series - Part 2
- Eating Disorder Treatment Blogging Series - Part 3
- Eating and Body Dysmorphic Disorders
- Eating Disorders from the Inside Out
- Eating Disorders Part 2: Recent Advances in Treatment
- Eating Disorders Part 1: How to Prevent Identify and Intervene Early
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