Millions of Americans suffer with eating disorders, most are women, but between 5% and 15% are men. There is no one cause of an eating disorder and there is no clear way to predict who will succumb, but there are some genetic and environmental variables that can increase the risks.
Women are more likely than men to develop an eating disorder, but men still account for between 5% and 15% of total cases. Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but they can begin even in childhood. 1
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):
- In a lifetime, between 0.5% and 3.7% of females will experience anorexia – between 1.1% and 4.2% will suffer from bulimia.
- In any given 6 month period, between 2% and 5% of Americans suffer from binge eating disorder
- 5.6% of those with anorexia will die within a decade of onset. This mortality rate is 12 times the normal mortality rate for women from the ages of 15 to 24 – some research indicates that the mortality rate within a decade of onset could reach 10% 2
- In one study, 20% of 14 and 15 year old girls who engaged in ‘strict dieting’ succumbed to an eating disorder within a year 3
- In the last 30 days, 12.3% of high school students have fasted for at least 24 hours in an effort to lose weight, 6.3% of high school students have used a diet medication not recommended by a doctor and 4.5% have used a laxative or vomited to keep from gaining weight. 4
Why Do People Get Eating Disorders?
There is no single reason why people get eating disorders – mostly it is an interplay between environmental and biological factors that raises a person’s risk of disordered eating. Some of the ‘causes’ of eating disorders include:
Family Influences
Having a parent that encourages dieting can increase the risks, as can having a parent who suffers from an addiction or mental health disorder - suffering abuse in the home also increases the risks. Teenagers who are teased in the home about their weight, even ‘in fun’ are also at an elevated risk of an eating disorder.
Genetics
There is a genetic link to eating disorders. People who have a close genetic relative with anorexia are 800% more likely to experience anorexia than the general population. Researchers think that hormonal or neurochemical imbalances may play a role in the establishment and perpetuation of these disorders.
Cultural
Media presentations of very thin men and women as desirable or even normal can pressure people into unhealthy eating practices as they try to emulate these ‘impossible’ body shapes.(*)5
Generic risk factors for eating disorders include:
- Being female
- Being a teen or young adult
- Engaging in dieting
- Having a mental health disorder or addiction
- Having low self esteem or a perfectionist personality
- People
who play certain sports or (wrestling, gymnastics and others) may also be
at increased risk 6
page last update Aug 16, 2010
