Statistics on anorexia nervosa are everywhere. Please keep in mind that the study of anorexia is relatively new, and that statistical reports differ from source to source.
Anorexia is not uncommon, and it is a dangerous illness. Following are some statistics that describe the nature and scope of the disorder.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders suggests that those in late adolescence and early adulthood meet the full criteria for anorexia nervosa at a rate of 0.5% to 1.0% (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).
One study reported that prevalence rates of anorexia in western countries are higher than they are in other parts of the world. Rates in women in western countries ranged from 0.1% to 5.7%. In non-western countries, the range was 0.46% to 3.2%. But the prevalence in non-western countries seems to be on the rise. (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., 2006)
The average age of onset of anorexia nervosa is 17 years. Those over 40 years of age rarely develop anorexia (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). It is reported that 40% of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls 15-19 years old. (National Eating Disorders Association, 2006b) But over the past forty years, incidence in young women has tripled, while incidence in teenagers has remained unchanged (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2004).
Most of those with anorexia are girls and women--approximately 90-95% (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).
The National Eating Disorders Association indicates that an estimated 5-20% of those who have anorexia nervosa will not survive complications associated with it. This means that anorexia has one of the highest mortality rates of all mental disorders (National Eating Disorders Association, 2006a). For those who receive treatment, the mortality rate is far lower, at 2-3% (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., 2006).
- Between 40-60% of high school girls diet
- 30-40% of junior high girls are concerned about their weight
- 40% of 9-year-old girls have dieted
References
American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1994. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Association.
Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., 2006. "Statistics: How Many People Have Eating Disorders?" <http://www.anred.com/stats.html> (accessed 2 December 2006).
Ice, Susan, 2006. "Statistics." Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy, and Action <http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/reports/statistics.html> (accessed 3 December 2006).
National Eating Disorders Association, 2006a. "Anorexia Nervosa." <http://www.edap.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=286&Profile_ID=41142> (accessed 27 November 2006).
National Eating Disorders Association, 2006b. "Eating Disorders and Their Precursors." <http://www.edap.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=286&Profile_ID=41138> (accessed 2 December 2006).
University of Maryland Medical Center, 2004. "Who Develops Eating Disorders?" <http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/who_develops_eating_disorders_000049_2.htm> (accessed 2 December 2006).
