Statistics

Reviewed by Douglas Bunnell, Ph.D., FAED, CEDS

While we know that eating disorders impact people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes and weights, to date, the majority of eating disorder research studies lack this representation. As you read through the findings below please note that the information may be limited due to this lack of inclusion.

NEDA is committed to addressing this lack of representation by prioritizing funding research grants which attempt to address the inequities in eating disorder research.

General Eating Disorder Statistics
BIPOC Statistics
Food Insecurity
LGBTQIA2S+ Statistics
Military and EDs
Caregivers
Athletes
Suicidality and Eating Disorders

PCOS and Eating Disorders
Dieting and Eating Disorders
Substance Use
Pregnancy and Eating Disorders
PTSD and Eating Disorders
Men and Eating Disorders
Students and Eating Disorders
Body Image

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General Eating Disorder Statistics

9% of the US population, or 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

Deloitte Access Economics. The Social and Economic Cost of Eating Disorders in the United States of America: A Report for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders. June 2020. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/.

The overall lifetime prevalence of eating disorders is estimated to be 8.60% among females and 4.07% among males.

Every 52 minutes 1 person dies as a direct consequence of an eating disorder.

Global eating disorder prevalence increased from 3.5% to 7.8% between 2000 and 2018.

Galmiche, M., Déchelotte, P., Lambert, G., & Tavolacci, M. P. (2019). Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000-2018 period: a systematic literature review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 109(5), 1402–1413. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy342

22% of children and adolescents worldwide show disordered eating.

López-Gil, J. F., García-Hermoso, A., Smith, L., Firth, J., Trott, M., Mesas, A. E., Jiménez-López, E., Gutiérrez-Espinoza, H., Tárraga-López, P. J., & Victoria-Montesinos, D. (2023). Global Proportion of Disordered Eating in Children and Adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.5848

Over 3.3 million healthy life years worldwide are lost yearly because of eating disorders.

van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2020). Review of the burden of eating disorders: mortality, disability, costs, quality of life, and family burden. Current opinion in psychiatry, 33(6), 521–527. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000641

Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness behind opiate addiction.

Arcelus, Jon et al. “Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A meta-analysis of 36 studies.” Archives of general psychiatry 68,7 (2011): 724-31. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74

Despite the fact that individuals with higher body weight have a 2.45 times greater chance of engaging in disordered eating behaviors as patients of normal weight, such patients receive a clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder half as frequently as patients with normal weight or underweight.

Ramaswamy, N., & Ramaswamy, N. (2023). Overreliance on BMI and Delayed Care for Patients With Higher BMI and Disordered Eating. AMA Journal of Ethics, 25(7), E540-544. https://doi.org/10.1001/amajethics.2023.540

‌One-year prevalence of anorexia nervosa is 0.16% for females and 0.09% for males.

A meta analysis found that atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) occurs more frequently than anorexia nervosa in community samples, however fewer individuals with AAN are referred or admitted to special care for eating disorders.

Harrop, E. N., Mensinger, J. L., Moore, M., & Lindhorst, T. (2021). Restrictive eating disorders in higher weight persons: A systematic review of atypical anorexia nervosa prevalence and consecutive admission literature. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(8), 1328–1357. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23519

One-year prevalence of bulimia nervosa is 0.32% for females and 0.05% for males.

One- year prevalence of binge eating disorder is 0.96% for females and 0.26% for males.

In a nationally representative US-based study, up to 23% of individuals with BED had attempted suicide, and virtually all (94%) reported lifetime mental health symptoms: 70% mood disorders, 68% substance use disorders, 59% anxiety disorders, 49% borderline personality disorder, and 32% posttraumatic stress disorder.

Keski-Rahkonen A. (2021). Epidemiology of binge eating disorder: prevalence, course, comorbidity, and risk factors. Current opinion in psychiatry, 34(6), 525–531. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000750

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) represents 39.5% of eating disorder cases among males, and 44.2% of cases among females in the US in 2018-19.

The most common eating disorder is Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) with a one-year prevalence of 1.18% for females and 0.27% for males.

While there is limited research on the prevalence of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), studies have found that between 0.5%-5% of children and adults in the general population have the disorder.

Kennedy, H. L., Dinkler, L., Kennedy, M. A., Bulik, C. M., & Jordan, J. (2022). How genetic analysis may contribute to the understanding of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Journal of eating disorders, 10(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00578-x

Less than 6% of people with an eating disorder are medically underweight.

Flament, M. F., Henderson, K., Buchholz, A., Obeid, N., Nguyen, H. N., Birmingham, M., & Goldfield, G. (2015). Weight Status and DSM-5 Diagnoses of Eating Disorders in Adolescents From the Community. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(5), 403–411.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2015.01.020

BIPOC Statistics

A 2019 study found that Hispanic/Latina/o, Black/African American, and Asian Americans are more likely to engage in disordered eating behaviors than their white counterparts.

Simone, M., Telke, S., Anderson, L. M., Eisenberg, M., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2022). Ethnic/racial and gender differences in disordered eating behavior prevalence trajectories among women and men from adolescence into adulthood. Social science & medicine (1982), 294, 114720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114720

Adolescents who experience racial/ethnic discrimination are 3 times more likely to have binge eating disorder than those who have not experienced racial/ethnic discrimination.

Raney, J. H., Al-Shoaibi, A. A., Shao, I. Y., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., Jackson, D. B., He, J., Glidden, D. V., & Nagata, J. M. (2023). Racial discrimination is associated with binge-eating disorder in early adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis. Journal of eating disorders, 11(1), 139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00866-0

The societal value placed on lightness of skin color is related to body dissatisfaction and binge eating amongst black girls.

Parker, J. E., Enders, C. K., Mujahid, M. S., Laraia, B. A., Epel, E. S., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2022). Prospective relationships between skin color satisfaction, body satisfaction, and binge eating in Black girls. Body image, 41, 342–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.04.004

People of color with eating disorders are half as likely to be diagnosed or to receive treatment.

Sonneville, KR, Lipson, SK. (2018). Disparities in eating disorder diagnosis and treatment according to weight status, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and sex among college students. Int J Eat Disord, 51, 518– 526. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22846

Youth of color are less than two thirds as likely to receive recommended treatment compared with white youth.

Moreno, R., Buckelew, S. M., Accurso, E. C., & Raymond-Flesch, M. (2023). Disparities in access to eating disorders treatment for publicly-insured youth and youth of color: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00730-7

A recent study found that white participants made up approximately 70% of the samples that reported race and ethnicity data supporting that non-white groups are underrepresented.

Egbert, A. H., Hunt, R. A., Williams, K. L., Burke, N. L., & Mathis, K. J. (2022). Reporting racial and ethnic diversity in eating disorder research over the past 20 years. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(4), 455–462. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23666

Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is associated with 1.67 higher odds of BED or subclinical BED and 1.31 higher odds of binge eating symptoms in early adolescence.

Nagata, J. M., Chu, J., Cervantez, L., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., Jackson, D. B., Murray, S. B., & Weiser, S. D. (2023). Food insecurity and binge‐eating disorder in early adolescence. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 56(6), 1233–1239. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23944

A recent meta analysis found that the odds of adults having binge eating if they experience food insecurity are 1.66 times the odds of adults having binge eating if they have food security.

Abene, J. A., Tong, J., Minuk, J., Lindenfeldar, G., Chen, Y., & Chao, A. M. (2023). Food insecurity and binge eating: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 56(7), 1301–1322. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23956

LGBTQIA2S+ Statistics

LGBTQ youth who have ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder had nearly four times greater odds of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who have never suspected nor had an eating disorder diagnosis.

The Trevor Project. (2022). Research Brief: Eating Disorders among LGBTQ Youth. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/eating-disorders-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/

LGBT adults and adolescents experience greater incidence of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts.

Parker, L. L., & Harriger, J. A. (2020). Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors in the LGBT population: a review of the literature. Journal of eating disorders, 8, 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y

Nearly nine in ten (87%) LGBTQ youth reported being dissatisfied with their body.

The Trevor Project. (2022). Research Brief: Eating Disorders among LGBTQ Youth. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/eating-disorders-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are at greater risk for food insecurity, eating disorders, and depression, particularly those who identify as trans males.

Arikawa, A. Y., Ross, J., Wright, L., Elmore, M., Gonzalez, A. M., & Fulgoni, V. L. (2021). Results of an Online Survey about Food Insecurity and Eating Disorder Behaviors Administered to a Volunteer Sample of Self-Described LGBTQ+ Young Adults Aged 18 to 35 Years. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121(7), 1231–1241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2020.09.032

Transgender college students are over four times more likely than their cisgender counterparts to report an eating disorder diagnosis.

Diemer, E. W., Grant, J. D., Munn-Chernoff, M. A., Patterson, D. A., & Duncan, A. E. (2015). Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Eating-Related Pathology in a National Sample of College Students. The Journal of adolescent health: official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 57(2), 144–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.03.003

Military and Eating Disorders

A 2021 study found that approximately one-third of women, and one-fifth of men in the veteran population reported symptoms consistent with a DSM-5 eating disorder diagnosis.

Masheb, RM, Ramsey, CM, Marsh, AG, et al. DSM-5 eating disorder prevalence, gender differences, and mental health associations in United States military veterans. Int J Eat Disord. 2021; 54: 1171– 1180. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23501

Estimates of BN were higher among Black veterans compared to White veterans and other people of color.

Vaught, A. S., Piazza, V., & Raines, A. M. (2021). Prevalence of eating disorders and comorbid psychopathology in a US sample of treatment-seeking veterans. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54( 11), 2009– 2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23591

The incidence of eating disorders in the U.S. military was found to be 2.7%, with the most common diagnosis being other specified feeding or eating disorder (46.4%) whereas bulimia accounted for 41.8% and anorexia nervosa for 11.9% of the cases.

Williams, V. F., Stahlman, S., & Taubman, S. B. (2018). Diagnoses of eating disorders, active component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013-2017. MSMR, 25(6), 18–25.

Caregivers

The burden of caregiving is higher among caregivers of patients with eating disorders patients than among caregivers of patients with depression or schizophrenia.

Martín, J., Padierna, A., van Wijngaarden, B., Aguirre, U., Anton, A., Muñoz, P., & Quintana, J. M. (2015). Caregivers consequences of care among patients with eating disorders, depression or schizophrenia. BMC psychiatry, 15, 124. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0507-

Athletes

The prevalence rates for eating disorders have been shown to be higher in athletes compared to non-athletes and have been found to range from 6-45% in female athletes and 0-19% in male athletes.

Bratland-Sanda, S., & Sundgot-Borgen, J. (2013). Eating disorders in athletes: Overview of prevalence, risk factors and recommendations for prevention and treatment. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(5), 499–508. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2012.740504

A recent study reported that, in a sample of competitive athletes, over 86% met criteria for an eating disorder/subthreshold eating disorder.

Flatt, R. E., Thornton, L. M., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Balantekin, K. N., Smolar, L., Mysko, C., Wilfley, D. E., Taylor, C. B., DeFreese, J. D., Bardone-Cone, A. M., & Bulik, C. M. (2021). Comparing eating disorder characteristics and treatment in self-identified competitive athletes and non-athletes from the National Eating Disorders Association online screening tool. The International journal of eating disorders, 54(3), 365–375. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23415

Suicidality and Eating Disorders

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for those diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Goldstein, A., & Gvion, Y. (2019). Socio-demographic and psychological risk factors for suicidal behavior among individuals with anorexia and bulimia nervosa: A systematic review. Journal of affective disorders, 245, 1149–1167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.015

Studies have found that approximately 31% of individuals with anorexia nervosa, 23% of individuals with bulimia nervosa, and 23% of indivudals diagnosed with binge eating disorder have attempted suicide.

Udo, T., Bitley, S., & Grilo, C. M. (2019). Suicide attempts in US adults with lifetime DSM-5 eating disorders. BMC medicine, 17(1), 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1352-3

Individuals with binge eating disorder are 4.8 times more likely to have a suicide attempt than those without an eating disorder.

Udo, T., Bitley, S., & Grilo, C. M. (2019). Suicide attempts in US adults with lifetime DSM-5 eating disorders. BMC medicine, 17(1), 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1352-3

PCOS and Eating Disorders

According to the International PCOS Guideline, there are higher rates of eating disorders and disordered eating in PCOS patients compared to controls.

International evidence based-guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Copyright Monash University, Melbourne Australia 2018.

PCOS is a risk factor for having at least one eating disorder, including bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, night eating syndrome, and others.

International evidence based-guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Copyright Monash University, Melbourne, Australia 2023.

Binge Eating Disorder has been reported as approximately 13% more common in PCOS than controls.

Hollinrake, E., Abreu, A., Maifeld, M., Van Voorhis, B. J., & Dokras, A. (2007). Increased risk of depressive disorders in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and Sterility, 87(6), 1369–1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.11.039

Dieting and Eating Disorders

Fear of weight gain, feeling like one is overeating, feelings of guilt, thinking about dieting, and a desire for thinness are predictive of eating disorder severity.

Levinson, C. A., Hunt, R. A., Christian, C., Williams, B. M., Keshishian, A. C., Vanzhula, I. A., & Ralph-Nearman, C. (2022). Longitudinal group and individual networks of eating disorder symptoms in individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 131(1), 58. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000727

62.3% of teenage girls and 28.8% of teenage boys report trying to lose weight. 58.6% of girls and 28.2% of boys are actively dieting. 68.4% of girls and 51% of boys exercise with the goal of losing weight or to avoid gaining weight.

National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. (2003). Food for Thought: Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders. New York, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

A cohort study found that females who dieted moderately were 5x more likely to develop an eating disorder, and those who practiced extreme restriction were 18x more likely to develop an eating disorder than those who did not diet.

Patton, G. C., Selzer, R., Coffey, C., Carlin, J. B., & Wolfe, R. (1999). Onset of adolescent eating disorders: Population based cohort study over 3 years. BMJ, 318(7186), 765–768. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7186.765

Substance Use

50% of individuals with an eating disorder use alcohol or illicit drugs, compared to approximately 9% in the general population.

National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. (2003). Food for Thought: Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders. New York, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

Up to 35% of alcohol or illicit drug users have an eating disorder, compared to up to 3 percent in the general population.

1 in 5 individuals with an eating disorder will develop a substance use disorder at some point in their lifetime.

Bahji, A., Mazhar, M. N., Hudson, C. C., Nadkarni, P., MacNeil, B. A., & Hawken, E. (2019). Prevalence of substance use disorder comorbidity among individuals with eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 273, 58–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.007

Tobacco and alcohol are the substances used most frequently by people with co-occurring substance use and eating disorders: 36.1% of those with an eating disorder develop a tobacco use disorder, and 20.6% develop an alcohol use disorder.

Bahji, A., Mazhar, M. N., Hudson, C. C., Nadkarni, P., MacNeil, B. A., & Hawken, E. (2019). Prevalence of substance use disorder comorbidity among individuals with eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 273, 58–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.007

Pregnancy and Eating Disorders

About 1 out of 20 pregnant women are at risk for eating disorders during pregnancy.

Martínez-Olcina, M., Rubio-Arias, J. A., Reche-García, C., Leyva-Vela, B., Hernández-García, M., Hernández-Morante, J. J., & Martínez-Rodríguez, A. (2020). Eating Disorders in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 56(7), 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56070352

40.2% of women are concerned about their weight during the pregnancy period.

Women with current or past eating disorders diagnosis, regardless of subtype, are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy and neonatal complications.

Mantel, Ä., Hirschberg, A. L., Stephansson, O. (2020). Association of Maternal Eating Disorders with pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(3), 285. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3664

A recent review found that around 15% of pregnant women are likely to have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, and about 5% experience an eating disorder during pregnancy.

Bye, A., Martini, M. G., & Micali, N. (2021). Eating disorders, pregnancy and the postnatal period: A review of the recent literature. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 34(6), 563–568. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000748

PTSD and Eating Disorders

The rate of trauma is higher among women and men with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, compared with the general population.

Mitchell, K. S., Mazzeo, S. E., Schlesinger, M. R., Brewerton, T. D., Smith, B. N. (2011). Comorbidity of partial and subthreshold PTSD among men and women with eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey-replication study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 45(3), 307–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20965

One study found that nearly half (49.3%) of eating disorder patients admitted to a residential facility in the US had symptoms compatible with a PTSD diagnosis.

Brewerton, T., Perlman, M., Gavidia, I., Suro, G., Genet, J., Bunnell, D. (2020). The association of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder with greater eating disorder and comorbid symptom severity in residential eating disorder treatment centers. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(12), 2061–2066. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23401

One study found that 43.8% of individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder reported experiencing more than one traumatic event in their lives.

Convertino, A. D., Morland, L. A.; Blashill, A. J. (2022). Trauma exposure and eating disorders: Results from a United States nationally representative sample. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(8), 1079–1089. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23757

Men and Eating Disorders

Of people currently living in the US, 4.07% of males (6.6 million people) had experienced an eating disorder at some stage of their lifetime.

Rates of eating disorders in males are increasing at a faster rate than for females.

Gorrell, S.,& Murray, S. B. (2019). Eating disorders in males. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 28(4), 641–651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2019.05.012

Due to the culturally prevalent view that eating disorders only affect young girls, men experience a delay in recognizing their behaviors as possible symptoms of an eating disorder.

Räisänen, U.,& Hunt, K. (2014). The role of gendered constructions of eating disorders in delayed help-seeking in men: A qualitative interview study. BMJ Open, 4(4). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004342

Students and Eating Disorders

Eating disorder risk among US college students increased substantially by 13 percentage points from 2013 to 2020/2021.

Daly, M., & Costigan, E. (2022). Trends in eating disorder risk among U.S. college students, 2013-2021. Psychiatry research, 317, 114882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114882

ED screening on college campuses is seriously lacking—only 22% of colleges reported offering year-round ED screening opportunities and only 45% offered ED screenings once per year or semester.

Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Karam, A. M., Monterubio, G. E., Taylor, C. B., & Wilfley, D. E. (2019). Screening for eating disorders on college campuses: A Review of the Recent Literature. Current Psychiatry Reports, 21(10), 101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1093-1

A recent study on college students found that students with eating disorders were 7.43 times more likely to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder than those without eating disorders.

Qeadan, F., English, K., Luke, A., & Egbert, J. (2023). Eating disorders and substance use: Examining associations among US college students. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 56(5), 956–968. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23892

Only about 20% or fewer of the students who screened positive for an eating disorder reported receiving treatment for their eating disorder.

Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Karam, A. M., Monterubio, G. E., Taylor, C. B., & Wilfley, D. E. (2019). Screening for Eating Disorders on College Campuses: a Review of the Recent Literature. Current psychiatry reports, 21(10), 101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1093-1

Body Image

In the United States 69-84% of women experience body dissatisfaction, desiring to be a lower weight than they currently are.

Runfola, C. D., Von Holle, A., Trace, S. E., Brownley, K. A., Hofmeier, S. M., Gagne, D. A., & Bulik, C. M. (2013). Body dissatisfaction in women across the lifespan: results of the UNC-SELF and Gender and Body Image (GABI) studies. European eating disorders review: the journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 21(1), 52–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2201

Studies have shown that about 50% of preadolescent girls and 30% of preadolescent boys dislike their body.

Alleva, J. M., Sheeran, P., Webb, T. L., Martijn, C., & Miles, E. (2015). A Meta-Analytic Review of Stand-Alone Interventions to Improve Body Image. PloS one, 10(9), e0139177. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139177

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