Percent of females who suffer from anorexia in lifetime: 0.5 to 3.7%
Percent of females who suffer from bulimia in lifetime: 1.1 to 4.2%
Percent of men with eating disorder: 5.0 to 15.0%
Spending on weight loss products in 1999: $32 billion
Estimated number of dieters in 1999: 51 million
Percent of 10-12 year old girls who say they are slightly or very overweight: 34%
Percent of 22-24 year old women who say they are slightly or very overweight: 51%
There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorders.
Hard numbers on those afflicted are hard to find. Sufferers are secretive, early-stage symptoms difficult to detect. Those with anorexia nervosa will starve their bodies of food. Those with bulimia will eat a large quantity of food and then take laxatives or induce vomiting. As the names suggests, those with binge-eating disorders will eat large quantities of food in a short period of time. But they don't purge as bulimics do. All of these disorders are characterized by low self-esteem. Food is used to fill some psychological void in the person; they literally "hunger" for love and acceptance. By embracing the old myth that "I'm fat and no one will ever love me" these overeaters are keeping people and potential relationships at bay — stresses that they simply cannot handle.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 0.5 to 3.7% of women will develop anorexia in their lifetime. An estimated 1.1 to 4.2% of women will develop bulimia at some point. Somewhere between 2 to 5% of Americans will experience a binge-eating disorder in a 6 month period.
How does one develop an eating disorder? It appears to be a complex process, of course, and researchers are unable to point to a single trigger. In various studies, a significant number of women talk of getting messages about food (and their bodies) from their mothers. Some mothers may be openly critical of their daughter's weight. Other messages involve family meals. No one leaves the table until everyone's plate is cleared. No snacks. Dessert with every dinner. Family functions always involve food. Or worse, mother herself is anorexic or bulimic, and the daughters continue the cycle.
But it isn't just Mom's fault. For some, it is a critical husband or boyfriend. For others, a psychological response to their changing adolescent body. Recent research does suggest that genetics and brain chemistry may trigger certain segments of women to starve themselves.
Society is a factor as well. To be thin is to be attractive. We spent in excess of $34 billion on weight loss products and services in 1999, a figure that grows every year. Spending on diet pills and meal replacements have increased 160% since 1996. The number of dieters has grown in recent years as well. When women were asked "Why do you diet?" in a recent University of Michigan survey, 43% said they diet for themselves, 16% out of exposure to media images. When asked what they thought caused eating disorders, 30% said family or peer pressure, 30% said pressure from media images, and 23% named poor self image. It's easy to see how a woman may feel overweight compared to the models in fashion magazines. The average American woman is 5'4" tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average model is 5'11" and carries a scant 117 lbs. Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women!
Eating disorders are killers. An estimated 50,000 people currently suffering from such disorders will die from them. Anorexics can suffer heart attacks, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Bulimics can destroy the linings of their stomachs and esophagus through the use of laxatives and vomiting. It is possible for a woman to destroy her body chemistry to the point where it ceases to work.
There has been a disturbing response to the issue of eating disorders. A small segment of young women have embraced anorexia as a lifestyle. Some web sites feature photos of emaciated young women with protruding ribs and backbones to chart the progress of their weight loss. In 2001, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders contacted web hosts at Yahoo! to ask them to remove pro-anorexia web groups with names like skin n'bones and anorexiarocks from their site. In these groups, women traded starvation tips, advice on how to fool parents into thinking they are eating, and extolled the virtues of anorexia: "Being thin is more important than being healthy," "Being thin and not eating are signs of true willpower and success."
Source: Chart data from the National Eating Disorders Association, located at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org; statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health located at http://www.nimh.nih.gov. "Weight Loss Industry Enjoys Its Best Gains In A decade." Research Alert, March 2, 2000; "Girls More Likely to Feel Overweight, Less Likely to Exercise Than Boys." located at http://www.harrisinteractive.com; Text from "Survey of Teen Girls Shows Disturbing Trends." Retrieved from http://www.umich.edu. Lubrano, Alfredo. "Pro-anorexia Forums Popping Up on the Web." Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, August 26, 2001. Emily Sohn. "The Hunger Artists." U.S. News & World Report, p. 45. Erica Goode, "Anorexia Strategy: Family as Doctor ." New York Times, June 11, 2001, P. D7.
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