Anorexia Statistics

Anorexia statistics indicate that the problem is growing in the United States -- and not just in women. People who study anorexia statistics are seeing the rates of anorexia increasing among males. Furthermore, the number of women who die from anorexia-related causes is about 12 times higher than the average number of women ages 15 to 24 who die from all causes.

 

Anorexia Statistics: A Summary

Anorexia affects from 0.5 to 1 percent of the female adolescent population, with an average age of onset between 14 and 18 years. An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime.
 
An estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia are male. However, recent studies have shown that the rates are increasing among males.
 
The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15 to 24 in the general population.
 
The most common causes of death are complications of anorexia, such as cardiac arrest or electrolyte imbalance, and suicide.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD