Who gets an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are most common in adolescence and early adulthood, between the ages of 15 and 25. Although less common, they can also occur in children and older people as well. The onset of anorexia nervosa is often associated with puberty. In cultures that value an unrealistically thin ideal, young women may view developing hips and breasts as fat or ugly. Puberty also tends to coincide with a number of other stressful events, such as increased pressure at school, exams, dating, friendships, and the emergence of adulthood. This time may lead to very marked shifts in mood, personality, self-esteem, as well as the more obvious physical changes. Approximately one half of one percent of women in the United Kingdom will develop anorexia nervosa in their lifetime, and two percent or more will develop bulimia nervosa or binge eating.
