While many different types of people may have anorexia nervosa, approximately 90% of those afflicted are women. Most individuals with the disorder develop it in late adolescence or early adulthood, though onset may occur earlier or later.
The diagnosis of anorexia nervosa has become more common over the past 20 years. Approximately 90 percent are women between 12 and 25 years of age.
Anorexia is more common among girls and women than boys and men. Anorexia is also more common among girls and younger women than older women. On average, girls develop anorexia at 16 or 17.
Eating disorders typically begin in adolescence or early adulthood. Anorexia and Bulimia rarely begin before the age of puberty; 90% of cases are diagnosed before age twenty, while fewer than 10% of all cases occur before age ten.
Incidence/ Prevalence
In community-based studies, the prevalence of bulimia nervosa is between 0.5-1.0% in young women, with an even social-class distribution. About 90% of people diagnosed with bulimia nervosa are women.
Females. Women are considered to be the population most impacted by eating disorders, with studies indicating women have higher rates of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder than men (.
Several, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are more common in women, but they can all occur at any age and affect any gender. Eating disorders are often associated with preoccupations with food, weight or shape or with anxiety about eating or the consequences of eating certain foods.
Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S. 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression.
The eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, respectively, affect 0.5 percent and 2-3 percent of women over their lifetime. The most common age of onset is between 12-25. Although much more common in females, 10 percent of cases detected are in males.
Although eating disorders can affect anyone at any age, they are significantly more common in females in teenage and young adult years. In fact, 85% of all eating disorders develop in females and 95% of all eating disorders occur between the ages of 12 and 25.
Women with physical disabilities are more likely to develop eating disorders. 20-30% of adults with eating disorders also have autism. 3-10% of children and young people with eating disorders also have autism. 20% of women with anorexia have high levels of autistic traits.
Women have anorexia at rates three times higher than males: 0.9% of the population versus 0.3% of the population. An estimated 0.5% to 3.7% of women will develop anorexia at some point in their lifetime. Around 10 million men in the United States will develop an eating disorder within their lifetime.
Ninety to 95 percent of all cases of anorexia nervosa occur in females. Although the disorder can appear at any age, the peak age of onset is between 14 and 20 years.
The eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, respectively, affect 0.5 percent and 2-3 percent of women over their lifetime. The most common age of onset is between 12-25.
Anorexia Statistics
There are over 2,600 additional deaths per year from anorexia nervosa in the US. 50 - 80% of the risk for anorexia is genetic. 33 - 50% of anorexia patients have a comorbid mood disorder, such as depression. Mood disorders are more common in the binge/purge subtype than in the restrictive subtype.
The highest estimated mean annual prevalence of ED overall occurred at approximately age 21 years for both male (7.4%; 95% UI, 3.5%-11.5%) and female (10.3%; 95% UI, 7.0%-14.2%) individuals, with mean lifetime prevalence increasing to approximately 1 in 7 (14.3%; 95% UI, 9.7%-19.0%) for male individuals and ...
Prevalence of eating disorders in men and women
Roughly 1% to 2% of all females will have anorexia at least once in their lifetime, while it is around . 1% to . 3% in males (“Statistics & Research on Eating Disorders,” 2019).
Research shows that eating disorders are most likely to start between the ages of 14 to 25. Girls in this age range are significantly more likely to struggle with an eating disorder, but adolescent boys are also impacted.
Therefore, teenage girls and young women have the highest risk factor for developing eating disorders based on age. Individuals who have previously shown weight concerns and a preoccupation with weight, have a history of dieting, and display a negative body image all show risk factors for developing eating disorders.
According to Marie Galmiche et al., the prevalence of eating disorders “increased over the study period from 3.5% for the 2000–2006 period to 7.8% for the 2013–2018 period.” The study points out that although “eating disorders are traditionally considered to affect mainly women,” men represent a growing proportion of ...
The causes that may contribute to a person developing anorexia nervosa include: Psychological factors, such as a high level of perfectionism or obsessive-compulsive personality traits, feeling limited control in life and low self-esteem, a tendency towards depression and anxiety and a poor reaction to stress.
According to the survey:
75 percent of women reported disordered eating behaviors or symptoms consistent with eating disorders. 53 percent of dieters are already at a healthy weight and are still trying to lose weight. 39 percent of women say concerns about what they eat or weigh interfere with their happiness.
Males account for approximately 20% of people with anorexia nervosa, 30% of people with bulimia nervosa, 43% of people with binge eating disorder, 55-77% of people with other specified feeding or eating disorder (3) and 67% of people with of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (4).