Eating Disorder Facts and Helpful Links:
Prevalence
• It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men
• One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia
• Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
• Nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder (Note: One in five Americans suffers from mental illnesses.)
• An estimated 10 – 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are males
Mortality Rates
• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
• 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
• The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.
• 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems
Access to Treatment
• 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 to $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000. It’s estimated that individuals with eating disorders need from 3 – 6 months of inpatient care. Health insurance companies don’t 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
Adolescents
• Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
• 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
• 50% of girls ages 11-13 see themselves as overweight
• 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight
(info from http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm)
Helpful links:
A New Beginning
Doorways
Eating Disorders
Healthy Futures
NEDA: National Eating Disorder Association
Proud2BeMe
Staying Healthy: All About Eating Disorders
For more information, to ask questions, or share concerns, click here to email Rita Block, R.N., Parish Nurse