Eating Disorder Fact Sheet

By Caroline Christian- Second Year Graduate Student 
There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about eating disorders in our society, which can make it difficult to get accurate information about what eating disorders are, and what they look like. Stigma, stereotypes, and poor communication from eating disorder specialists have led to a lack of awareness of the reality of eating disorders. Getting educated about eating disorders can help one learn how to best support a loved one with an eating disorder, help individuals stay motivated in recovery, or help with speaking out against institutions and policies that are harmful for individuals with eating disorders. Here I provide and discuss some statistics and facts about eating disorders based on empirical research, both in the United States broadly, and in my home state of Kentucky. 
 
Eating disorders (and disordered eating) are prevalent.

• About 6-20% of individuals in the United States will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life (Favaro, 2003).
• At this rate, in the city of Louisville there are roughly ~200,000 individuals with an eating disorder and in the state of Kentucky there are roughly ~900,000 individuals with an eating disorder.
• 91% of college women have reported engaging in dieting to control their weight (Kurth et al., 1995).
• 75% of women reported concerns about weight and shape interfered with their happiness (Reba-Harrelson et al., 2009).
• Eating disorders affect everyone, not just women, including men and ethnic and sexual minorities.

 
Eating disorders are (increasingly) prevalent in adolescents.

• Eating disorders commonly develop during adolescence and early adulthood (Stice et al., 2013).
• 15-19 years of age has been labeled a “high risk” group for eating disorders (Smink et al., 2012).
• Most eating disorders (>90% develop by age 24)
• Eating disorders affect 13% of females by the age of 20 (Stice et al., 2013).
• Children and early adolescents today are reporting higher rates of eating disorder behaviors compared to older generations who went through adolescence in the 1990s and 2000s (Favaro et al., 2009).

 
Eating disorders are chronic.

• Approximately 50% of individuals with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa do not achieve full recovery in treatment (Herzog et al., 1993).
• Of those who do recover, over one third with experience at least one relapse.
• Anorexia nervosa has the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness (only after opioid use disorders).
• Individuals with anorexia are 12x more likely to die than women their age without anorexia nervosa.
• Without treatment, 20% of people with from anorexia will prematurely die from eating disorder related health complications.

 
Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other mental and physical health problems.

• 80-97% of individuals with eating disorders have another psychiatric disorder, primarily anxiety and mood disorders (Blinder et al., 2006).
• Individuals with eating disorders are at much greater risk for attempting suicide, engaging in risky behaviors (e.g., substance misuse), and having other comorbid mental health conditions (Pietsky et al., 2008).
• Individuals with eating disorders are at significant higher risk for physical health complications, such as cardiovascular symptoms, obesity, chronic pain, and infectious diseases (Johnson et al., 2002).

 
Eating disorders are difficult to treat.

• Eating disorders are hard to detect and youth frequently don’t perceive these behaviors as problematic and unhealthy, leading to more difficulty in early identification of eating disorders (Walsh et al., 2000).

• Only between 1 in 5 and 1 in 10 individuals with a diagnosed eating disorder will seek treatment (Hart et al., 2011).
• Treatment is even less common among underrepresented populations.
• Inpatient and outpatient treatment for eating disorders cost more than treatment for other conditions, such as OCD, and many individuals in treatment are at a lower level of care than recommended, due to treatment costs and lack of resources (Streigel-Moore et al., 2000).

 
Eating disorders are underfunded.

• The National Institutes of Health allocates only 93 cents towards research funding for every person diagnosed with an eating disorder.
• This ratio can be compared to $88 for every person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and 81% for every individual with Schizophrenia (National Institutes of Health, 2011).

 
Eating disorders are a silent epidemic in Kentucky crucially in need of resources.

• Based on data collected in the Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2013:
• Rates of eating disorders in Kentucky are significantly higher than the national average.
• 33% of high school students perceive themselves to be overweight, 47% are currently trying to lose weight, 13% fasted to lose/maintain weight in the past month, 7% took pills or supplements without a doctor’s advice to lose/maintain weight in the past month, and 6% vomited or took laxatives to lose/maintain weight in the past month.
• Approximately 1 out of every 10 Kentucky high school students reported engaging in 3 or more disordered eating behaviors.
• Students reporting more than three eating disorder behaviors were 5 times more likely to report feeling depressed in the past year, 6 times more likely to report suicidality in the past year, and 4 times more likely to report being bullied or cyber-bullied in the past year.
• The first and only eating disorder specialty clinic in Kentucky opened in Louisville in 2016.
  • This clinic does not offer residential level of care.
  • The closest eating disorder facility that offers residential care is in Missouri.
• Eating disorder behaviors are just as common, if not more common, than many other risky behaviors (e.g., substance abuse) that are currently prioritized by the Commonwealth.
• There are many screening and early intervention protocols in place in Kentucky schools, primary care, and other community-based service settings to detect substance use and mental health problems, but eating disorders behaviors are rarely, if ever, included in those standardized assessments.

 
These statistics and facts reflect the rather bleak current state of eating disorders. But there is hope! If you are feeling helpless or pessimistic about eating disorders, there are things you can do to help change enact positive change!

1. Call your legislators. If you live in Kentucky, Senate Bill 82 is currently being discussed, which would establish an eating disorder legislative council for the state of Kentucky. To support this bill becoming a law, you can Call 1-800-372-7181, and leave a message for your lawmakers, the Senate Health & Welfare Committee or Senate Leadership. When you call, you can let them know why this is important (You can use all the reasons above!)
2. Learn about eating disorder specialists near you that are doing empirically supported practices. Treatment outcomes are much better when therapists are using evidence-based therapies for eating disorders!
3. Talk to your friends and family members (especially kiddos) about the importance of body acceptance and engaging in healthy eating behaviors (e.g., eating enough food, eating a balanced variety of foods, and eating regularly throughout the day). Research shows that open discussions about and modeling of these healthy behaviors can have a huge impact (e.g., Eliassen, 2011).
4. When you are spending time with friends and family, and especially when engaging in this open dialogue about weight, shape, and eating, try to avoid “fat talk” statements. See our blog on why positive body talk is so important in preventing eating disorders!
5. Spread awareness by talking and posting about eating disorders and the harm that eating disorder stigma and stereotypes can cause. Sharing this message widely will allow us to educate policy-makers, therapists, medical and health providers, eating disorder survivors, and their loved ones about how serious and important eating disorders are. Spreading factual information about the real issues can help us build a huge network of people all fighting eating disorders together!