The Silent Suffering
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In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder.
Source: National Eating Disorders Association
Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).
Girls who diet frequently are 12 times as likely to binge as girls who dont diet (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).
42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner (Collins, 1991).
In a 2003 review of the literature, Hoek and van Hoeken found:
-40% of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls 15-19 years old.
Significant increase in incidence of anorexia from 1935 to 1989 especially among young women 15-24.
-A rise in incidence of anorexia in young women 15-19 in each decade since 1930.
-The incidence of bulimia in 10-39 year old women TRIPLED between 1988 and 1993.
-Only one-third of people with anorexia in the community receive mental health care.
-Only 6% of people with bulimia receive mental health care.
The majority of people with severe eating disorders do not receive adequate care.
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).
[Please note, the heightened mortality rate applies only to those with anorexia and does not mean that anorexia is the leading cause of death among all females aged 15-24 in the general public. ]
Anorexia nervosa has the highest premature fatality rate of any mental illness (Sullivan, 1995).
46% of 9-11 year-olds are sometimes or very often on diets, and 82% of their families are sometimes or very often on diets (Gustafson-Larson & Terry, 1992).
91% of women recently surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, 22% dieted often or always (Kurth et al., 1995).
95% of all dieters will regain their lost weight in 1-5 years (Grodstein, et al., 1996).
A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 40% ever fully recover
Source: http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm
Only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment
About 80% of the girls/women who have accessed care for their eating disorders do not get the intensity of treatment they need to stay in recovery they are often sent home weeks earlier than the recommended stay
Treatment of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 per day to $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000. It is estimated that individuals with eating disorders need anywhere from 3 6 months of inpatient care. Health insurance companies for several reasons do not typically cover the cost of treating eating disorders
The cost of outpatient treatment, including therapy and medical monitoring, can extend to $100,000 or more
It is estimated that currently 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
ANAD Ten Year Study. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. www.anad.org
A Study conducted by Cornell University found that 40% of male football players surveyed engaged in some sort of disordered eating behavior. (Newsweek, 1994)
According to a recent study, over 1/2 the females between the ages of 18-25 would prefer to be run over by a truck then be fat, and 2/3 surveyed would rather be mean or stupid.
Gaesser, G. (1996), Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health. New York: Fawcett Columbine.
Collins M.E. (1991) Body figure and preferences among pre-adolescent children. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 199-208.
91 % of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, 22% dieted "often" or "always".
Kurth CL, Krahn DD, Nairn K & Drewnowski A: The severity of dieting and bingeing behaviors in college women: Interview validation of survey data. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 1995; 29(3):211-25.
Source: The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness
Despite its prevalence, there is inadequate research funding for eating disorders. Funding for eating disorders research is approximately 75% less than that for Alzheimers disease. In the year 2005, the National Institute of Health (NIH) funded the following disorders accordingly:
Illness Prevalence Research Funds
Eating disorders: 10 million $12,000,000*
Alzheimers disease: 4.5 million $647,000,000
Schizophrenia: 2.2 million $350,000,000
* The reported research funds are for anorexia nervosa only. No estimated funding is reported for bulimia nervosa or eating disorders not otherwise specified.
Research dollars spent on eating disorders averaged $1.20 per affected individual, compared to $159 per affected individual for schizophrenia.
20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.
The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, "Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources," published September 2002, revised October 2003, www.renfrew.org.
0.5 % - 3.7 % of females suffer from Anorexia Nervosa in their lifetime.
National Institute of Mental Health. Eating Disorders NIH Publication No. 94-3477 Rockville, MD, 1994
1.1 % - 4.2 % of females suffer from Bulimia Nervosa in their lifetime.
Men constitute 40% of those exhibiting Binge Eating Disorder.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Ed. (DSM-IV). Washington DC, 1994.
The onset of Binge Eating Disorder usually occurs during the late adolescence or in the early twenties.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Ed. (DSM-IV). Washington DC, 1994
•61% of American adults are either overweight or obese.
•One out of every five US adults is classified as obese (BMI of 30 or greater).
•Between 1960 and 1994, overweight increased from 30.5 to 32% among adults ages 20-74 and obesity increased from 12.8 to 22.5%
Source: Mirasol
A large-scale national survey in 2007 found that 3.5% of women and 2% of men reported histories of binge-eating disorder.
Source: BED
The Following Websites were used in the construction of this page. Please consult them for further information.
National Eating Disorders Association
Alliance for Eating Disorders
SC Department of Mental Health
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