How common are eating disorders among young people?
For anorexia nervosa, the average prevalence rate — a term that describes the total number of cases divided by the number of people in a population — is 0.3 percent in females, or 3 in every 1,000 females. The incidence rates — which measures those at risk of becoming anorexic — are at 8 per 100,000 for anorexia nervosa. So over a year it is expected that 8 in 100,000 will be diagnosed with AN. These rates represent an increase over the past 50 years, especially in females ages 10 to 24. The long-term outcomes are serious. Anorexia nervosa is associated with one of the highest risks for premature death among all the psychiatric disorders. Of those diagnosed, between 5 and 5.9 percent die of symptoms related to the disorder. The average prevalence rates for bulimia nervosa are 1percent in females and 0.1 percent in males. Incidence rates are estimated at 12 per 100,000 for bulimia nervosa per year. Of those diagnosed with BN, 0.3 percent are believed to die of complications related
