• Eating disorders do not discriminate between age, gender, race or class – no one is immune.
  • The risk of developing an eating disorder is 50 – 80% determined by genetics.
  • Anorexia has the highest mortality rate among all psychological disorders.
  • 1 in 4 individuals with eating disorders are male.
  • 10% of all eating disorders cases are children under the age of 10.
  • The most rapidly growing group of individuals with eating disorders are women in midlife.
  • The most common behavior that will lead to an eating disorder is dieting.
  • 4 out of 10 Americans have either suffered or have known someone who has suffered from an eating disorder.
  • The diet and diet related industry is a $50 billion a year enterprise.
  • According to a recent study, more than1/2 the females between the ages of 18-25 would prefer to be run over by a truck then be fat, and 2/3 surveyed would rather be mean or stupid.
  • One-half of 4th grade girls are on a diet.
  • 2 out of 5 women and 1 out of 5 men would trade 3 to 5 years of their lives to achieve their weight goals.
  • Eating disorders are associated with high rates of co-existing disorders, particularly mood disorders, and anxiety disorders.
  • Men with eating disorders share the same characteristics as their female counterparts, including low self-esteem, the need to be accepted, an inability to cope with emotional pressures, and family and relationship issues.
  • Among high school students, 44% of the females and 15% of the males are attempting to lose weight.
  • About 80% of women want to lose weight; about 80% of men want to change their weight, half wanting to lose weight and the other half wanting to add muscle.
  • Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents.
  • Men are stigmatized by having a “woman’s disease” and thus fewer men know that they have ED or seek treatment.