Let’s get real – eating disorders can affect anyone, anywhere. This National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness), we’re changing the conversation around food, body image, and eating disorders! Join us at nedawareness.org

DAY 1:
Eating Disorder Educational & Health Facts

Facts:

•       In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) (Wade, Keski-Rahkonen, & Hudson, 2011)

•       40-60% of elementary school girls (ages 6-12) are concerned about their weight or about becoming too fat

•       A review of nearly fifty years of research confirms that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011).

•       A mere 10% of people with eating disorders receive treatment, and of those only 35% seek treatment from a facility that specializes in eating disorders.

•       For females between fifteen to twenty-four years old who suffer from anorexia nervosa, the mortality rate associated with the illness is twelve times higher than the death rate of all other causes of death (Sullivan, 1995).

•       Crow and colleagues found that crude mortality rates were 4.0% for anorexia nervosa, 3.9% for bulimia nervosa, and 5.2% for eating disorder not otherwise specified. They also found a high suicide rate in bulimia nervosa.

•       There has been a rise in incidence of anorexia in young women ages 15-19 in each decade since 1930 (Hoek & van Hoeken, 2003).

•       The incidence of bulimia in 10-39 year old women tripled between 1988 and 1993 (Hoek & van Hoeken, 2003).

•       The prevalence of eating disorders is similar among Non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians in the United States, with the exception that anorexia nervosa is more common among Non-Hispanic Whites (Hudson et al., 2007; Wade et al., 2011).

•       Alcohol and other substance abuse disorders are 4 times more common than in the general populations (Harrop & Marlatt, 2010).

•       Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression.

 

Worried you may be struggling with an Eating Disorder?

Use the screening tool here

Or find more information on treatment at WECHC here.