interesting facts about eating disorders:
- 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
- By age 6, girls especially start to express concerns about their own weight or shape. 40-60% of elementary school girls (ages 6-12) are concerned about their weight or about becoming too fat.
- Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder
- 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
- Alcohol and other substance abuse disorders are 4 times more common than in the general populations
- Depression and other mood disorders co-occur quite frequently
- In August of 2010, American Viewpoint (a nationally recognized public opinion research company) conducted a telephone survey of American adults for the National Eating Disorders Association.
- 2% percent of respondents believe that eating disorders are a physical or mental illness and should be treated as such, with just 12% believing they are related to vanity.
- 85% of the respondents believe that eating disorders deserve coverage by insurance companies just like any other illness.
- 86% favor schools providing information about eating disorders to students and parents.
- 80% believe conducting more research on the causes and most effective treatments would reduce or prevent eating disorders.
- 70% believe encouraging the media and advertisers to use more average sized people in their advertising campaigns would reduce or prevent eating disorders.