Frequently Asked Questions

Who may be affected by eating disorders?

Anyone can be affected. Eating disorders do not discriminate on the basis of sex, age or race. They can be found in both sexes, all age groups, and across a wide variety of races and ethnic backgrounds. However, there are groups who display an increased risk for eating disorders (see below).

How do you help a friend if you believe that an eating disorder is present?

If you believe that a friend or family member has an eating disorder, there are things that you can do to help. You have the power to perhaps save your friend’s or family member’s life. Here are a few tips to assist you in confronting an individual who you think needs help.

• Learn as much as you can about eating disorders.
• Find an appropriate time to talk to the individual, in private and never in front of other people (free of distractions).
• Make sure to talk to the person in a loving and understanding way, and listen with a non-judgmental ear. Do not be scared.
• Have educational materials on eating disorders available, along with phone numbers and/or website addresses of eating disorder organizations, to give to the individual.
• Do not gossip about the individual.
• Do not force the individual to eat.
• Encourage the individual to seek professional help, perhaps someone who specializes in eating disorders (doctor, therapist, nutritionist, etc.). Don’t attempt to solve his/her problems on your own.
• Be prepared for the individual to deny that he/she has a problem. If that is the case, make sure to tell someone else about your concerns.
• Be available for your friend and do not expect to be perfect.

Who is at increased risk for eating disorders?

• Eating disorders are more common in women, but they do occur in men. Rates of binge eating disorder are similar in females and males.
• Athletes in certain sports are at particularly high risk for eating disorders. Female gymnasts, ice skaters, dancers and swimmers, to name a few, have been found to have higher rates of eating disorders. In a study of elite athletes, over one-third of female athletes reported attitudes and symptoms placing them at risk for anorexia nervosa.
• Male athletes are also at increased risk – especially those in sports such as wrestling, bodybuilding, rowing, running, cycling, climbing and football.
• Although white females may be more likely to suffer from anorexia nervosa, body dissatisfaction in young girls has been shown in all ethnic groups.

How common are eating disorders?

• Anorexia Nervosa: Between 0.3-1% of young women have anorexia nervosa (which makes anorexia as common as autism)
• Bulimia Nervosa: Around 1-3% of young women have bulimia nervosa
• Binge Eating Disorder: Around 3% of the population has binge eating disorder. Between 4% and 20% of young women practice unhealthy patterns of dieting, purging, and binge-eating.
• Currently, about one in 20 young women in the community have an eating disorder.

Has the prevalence of eating disorders increased over the years?

• Anorexia Nervosa: Cases of anorexia nervosa have been described throughout history in many different cultural contexts, with the first medical descriptions dating back to the 17th Century. The number of new cases presenting increased up to the 1970s and since then has been stable.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Bulimia nervosa is a newer disorder and between the 1980s and 1990s there was a dramatic rise in the number of cases presenting with this disorder. The number of new cases presenting is now stabilizing, with the largest proportion of people presenting for treatment being adolescents.

How devastating are eating disorders?

• For women aged 15-24, eating disorders are among the top four leading causes of burden of disease in terms of years of life lost through death or disability.
• Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest overall mortality rates and the highest suicide rate of any psychiatric disorder. The risk of death is three times higher than in depression, schizophrenia or alcoholism and 12 times higher than in the general population.
• Up to 10% of women with anorexia nervosa may die due to anorexia-related causes. Early recognition of symptoms and proper treatment can reduce the risk of death.
• Deaths in anorexia nervosa mainly result from complications of starvation or from suicide. Health consequences such as osteoporosis (brittle bones), gastrointestinal complications, and dental problems are significant health and financial burdens throughout life.
• Quality of life is severely impaired in all eating disorders.