Eating Disorder

Prevalence:

  • It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men

  • One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia

  • Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia

  • Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)

  • An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males


Mortality Rates:

  • Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness

  • A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover

  • 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.

  • 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems

Access To Treatment:

  • Only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment

  • 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 $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000. It is estimated that individuals with eating disorders need anywhere from 3 – 6 months of inpatient care. Health insurance companies for several reasons do not typically cover the cost of treating eating disorders

  • The cost of outpatient treatment, including therapy and medical monitoring, can extend to $100,000 or more

Adolescents:

  • Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents

  • 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25

  • 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight

  • 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight

Racial And Ethnic Minorities:

  • Rates of minorities with eating disorders are similar to those of white women

  • 74% of American Indian girls reported dieting and purging with diet pills

  • Essence magazine, in 1994, reported that 53.5% of their respondents, African-American females were at risk of an eating disorder

  • Eating disorders are one of the most common psychological problems facing young women in Japan.

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