Eating Disorder Statistics & Resources

An Overview of Eating Disorder Facts

Eating disorders can affect anyone for a variety of reasons. A quick overview shows:^1,2

• More than 28 million Americans will face an eating disorder at some point in their lives
• Binge-eating disorder is three times more common than anorexia and bulimia combined

Risk Factors for Developing Eating Disorders

It can be hard to pinpoint risk factors for eating disorders, as they can be the result of psychological, systemic, or other circumstantial issues. Researchers have found some common grounds, however.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association:³

• Those with close family members with an eating disorder have an increased risk of also developing an eating disorder
• Those with a history of dieting may develop a binge-eating disorder (BED)
• Perfectionism is one of the strongest risk factors for developing an eating disorder
• Nearly 60% of those with an eating disorder say that being bullied about their weight contributed to their eating disorder

Eating Disorder Rates by Age

Teenagers and young adults make up most patients with eating disorders. Research shows that:^2,4

• Those aged 15 and 24 with anorexia have 10 times the risk of dying compared to their same-aged peers
• In a study of 496 adolescent girls followed until they were 20, researchers found that more than 5% of those girls met the criteria for an eating disorder
• In a study of 1,118 preadolescent children, 42% of females reported wanting a thinner figure
• Binge eating disorder usually occurs in teenagers and young adults, though there are cases of older adults and young children
• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) tends to affect children, and often affects males more than females
• Nearly half of children with ARFID report a fear of vomiting or choking related to sensory issues with certain foods

Eating Disorder Rates by Gender

Eating disorders affect indiscriminately, but there are gender-specific concerns between male and female patients with eating disorders.

Research found the following in regards to gender and eating disorders:²

• Men with anorexia make up 25% of all those with anorexia
• Men also make up approximately 40% of people with binge eating disorder
• Between 0.9% and 2.0% of females and 0.1% to 0.3% of males will develop anorexia during their lifetime
• About 1% of young women and 0.1% of young men will meet the criteria for bulimia during their life
• According to one study, men and women aged 20-29 have higher numbers of prevalence for eating disorders
• That same study noted that eating disorder prevalence is more than four times as high for women as it is for men

Eating Disorder Rates Within Minority Groups

Eating disorders affect all, but minority groups face different challenges when seeking treatment.

Research into eating disorder rates among minorities found:⁵

• Doctors are less likely to ask ethnic minority patients with self-reported eating and dieting concerns about eating disorder symptoms
• Black teenagers are 50% more likely to exhibit bulimic symptoms than white teenagers
• Hispanic adolescents are more likely to suffer from bulimia than their non-Hispanic peers
• When presented with identical case studies of disordered eating symptoms in white, Hispanic, and black women, only 17% of doctors deemed the black woman’s case as problematic

Eating Disorders Rates in the LGBTQ+ Community

The link between gender, sexuality, sexual expression, and eating disorders is still being researched, but a number of studies have concluded that:⁶

• Gay, bisexual, and transgender adults and adolescents are more likely to develop an eating disorder
• 34.7% of lesbian adults had been or were currently diagnosed with an eating disorder
• 66.7% of lesbian adults reported significant risk factors that increased their likelihood of developing an eating disorder
• In one study, discrimination for sexual identity increased sexual minority stress, which increased social anxiety, which led to body shame and binge eating
• 14% of homosexual men reported currently having or having had an eating disorder in the past, a rate much higher than heterosexual men

Co-Occurring Disorders

Patients suffering from one mental illness or disorder may often suffer from another, including a higher risk for developing a substance use disorder.

One study found specific connections between eating disorders and the following mental health disorders:⁷

• 47.9% of those with anorexia, 80.6% of those with bulimia, and 65.1% of those with binge eating disorder also suffer from an anxiety disorder
• 42.1% of those with anorexia, 70.7% of those with bulimia, and 46.4% of those with binge eating disorder also suffer from a mood disorder like depression
• 27.0% of those with anorexia, 36.8% of those with bulimia, and 23.3 % of those with binge eating disorder suffer from a substance use disorder