• Between 0.5% and 3.7% of females develop develop anorexia nervosa. (1)
  
  
• Between 1.1% and 4.2% of females develop bulimia nervosa. (1)
  
  
• Approximately 85% of eating disorders begin during adolescence.  (3)

   Do boys and men get eating disorders?

• One study showed that males comprised 10% to 15% of all subjects diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. (8)
  
  
• In research conducted on a large sample, 28% of ninth-grade males reported one or more of the following to lose or control weight: fasting or skipping meals, diet pills, vomiting, laxatives or cigarette smoking. (9)
  
  
• Beginning in about the third grade, boys show significantly less desire to lose weight than girls, but express dissatisfaction with the upper rather than the lower body and use dieting to achieve specific external goals rather than to aspire to a cultural norm. (2)
  
  
• In a recent study, adolescent boys were most satisfied with their bodies when they were average weight and most dissatisfied with their bodies when they were either above or below average weight. (25)
  
  
• Research conducted on 10,583 adolescents indicated that gay/bisexual boys were more concerned with trying to look like men in the media and more likely to binge eat than heterosexual boys.(4)
  
  

   What does research tell us about children with respect to eating behaviors or eating disorders?

• Expectations regarding thinness among females are evident as early as 6 and 7 years old. (11)
  
  
• In a study of 252 fourth graders, 37% reported that they had dieted to lose weight during the past year. (6)
  
  
• In another study, girls were tested for eating attitudes and dieting at ages 5, 7, and 9. Girls who reported high body size and shape concerns across ages 5-7 were more likely than girls without such concerns to restrict their food intake at age 9, and these associations were independent of what the girls actually weighed. (10)
  
  
• Girls who present with eating disorders before they have begun to menstruate may have a long history of poor weight gain and slowed growth prior to the onset of weight loss. (30)

   Are there any statistics on adolescents with respect to eating behaviors or eating disorders?

• In a national survey of 6,728 adolescents, 45% of the girls and 20% of the boys reported that they had, at some point, been on a diet. 13% of the girls and 7% of the boys reported disordered eating.(24)

   What are the statistics regarding eating disorders and college students?

• In a study of 1,899 college students, 4.5% of the women and 1.4% of the men reported previous treatment for an eating disorder. 10.9% of the women and 4.0% of the men were considered at risk for eating disorders. (14)

   What causes eating disorders?

• Although no one variable has been found to "cause" an eating disorder, research has discerned that certain personality characteristics, genetic disposition, environment, and biochemistry all play significant roles in the development of eating disorders.
  
  
• Body dissatisfaction (having a negative view of one's size or shape), weight concerns, and dieting are associated with the development of eating disorders. (15)
  
  
• Many people with eating disorders are perfectionistic and often excel at academics and sports. People with anorexia tend to avoid taking risks. People with bulimia often have difficulties dealing with stress and may binge and purge to try to cope with intense feelings. (18)
  
  
• Studies show that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa run in families. (7,18,21,28,32)
  
  
• Studies are underway to identify the specific genes that may increase the risk of developing an eating disorder. (16,17,22)
  
  
• Increasing evidence points to alterations in central nervous system pathways as contributing to eating disorders. Many people with these illnesses have disturbances in brain serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which helps regulate appetite and mood. (18)
  
  

   What are the best treatments for eating disorders?

• Eating disorders are most successfully treated when diagnosed early. The longer abnormal eating behaviors persist, the more difficult it is to overcome the disorder and its effects on the body. (22)
  
  
• Once the eating disorder is diagnosed, the clinician can assess whether hospitalization is necessary or if the person can be treated as an outpatient. (1,22)
  
  
• Conditions warranting hospitalization include the following:
  • excessive and rapid weight loss
  • serious metabolic disturbances
  • clinical depression
  • risk of suicide
  • severe binge eating and purging
  • psychosis
    
    
• Many treatment plans are comprehensive due to the complex interaction of emotional and psychological problems in eating disorders. (1,22)
  
  
• Treatment often involves a combination of interventions including (1)
  • medical monitoring
  • individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy
  • nutritional counseling
  • cognitive therapy
  • behavioral therapy
  • antidepressant medication
    
    
• Ongoing emotional support is necessary for the individual, as recovery is a long process and relapse is common.

   What are the recovery rates for those with eating disorders?

• Approximately half of those with anorexia or bulimia have a full recovery, approximately 30% have a partial recovery, and 20% have no substantial improvement in symptoms. (18,20,27)

   Can eating disorders cause death?

• The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the mortality rate among young women in the general population. (19)

   Are there any statistics about eating disorders and the effects of the media?

• A study of seventh and tenth graders revealed a decrease in body satisfaction and an increase in depression associated with viewing magazine images of idealized females. (12)
  
  
• Another study showed that two of the most common adolescent dieting methods—restricting calories and taking diet pills – were associated with the reading of women's beauty and fashion magazines. (31)
  
  
• Research on Fijian schoolgirls found that a dramatic increase in eating disorders symptoms was tied to the introduction of television to this area, despite a traditional culture that had previously protected girls from developing these disorders. (5)

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