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- Frequency and Onset of Illness
- Duration of Illness
- Prognosis and Mortality Rate
(Costin, 1996, Pg. 18-19): “The prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa seems to be increasing and may range
from 1 to 4% of adolescent and young adult women in predominately white upper-middle and middle-class student groups. Even though the prevalence of these disorders is lower in other
populations, increasing numbers of eating disorder cases are seen in males,
minorities, and other age groups. A 10-year study by ANAD (The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and
Associated Disorders) found that 7 million women and 1 million men suffer from
anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in the United States, with approximately
86% reporting onset by the age of 20. The
breakdown regarding onset by ANAD is as follows.
- 10% report onset at 10 years or younger
- 33% report onset between the ages of 11 and 15
- 43% report onset between the ages of 1 and 20 "
- 77% report duration of illness from 1 to 15 years with the following breakdown:
- 30% report duration from 1-5 years
- 31% report duration from 6-10 years
- 16% report duration from 11-15 years
Approximately 50% of anorexics
develop bulimia nervosa, which is the more common illness of the two.
woman are engaging in bingeing and purging as a weight management technique.
Nearly a third of female college athletes have reported practicing diet
abuses such as self-induced vomiting, bingeing, and taking laxatives, diuretics,
and diet pills.
Eating disorders are often seen
in higher numbers in psychiatric populations suffering from various types and
degrees of psychological illness. In the last few years there has been increasing attention paid to the
relationship between eating disorders and sexual abuse, with a range of studies
indicating that anywhere from 20-85% of those with eating disorders have
suffered from sexual abuse. The variations in these studies are in part due to the definition of
sexual abuse used and the populations surveyed; for example, inpatient versus
outpatient populations.
Eating disorder patients can
fully recover. It is important for
clinicians, patients, and loved ones to understand that recovery can take many
years and that it is not possible to predict at the outset who will be
successful. We do know that there
are some features that seem to improve the chances of recovery, such as early
intervention, fewer coexisting psychological diagnoses, infrequent or no purging
behavior, and supportive families or loved ones.
As far as the medical consequences of eating disorders, most are
reversible. However, there are
some conditions that may be permanent, such as osteoporosis,
endocrine abnormalities, ovarian failure, and, of course, death.
The mortality rate for anorexia nervosa is higher than that of any other
psychiatric disorder, and it is the leading cause of death in young women.
Copyright © 1999 Alice Baland. All Rights
Reserved.
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