Statistics This information was found in articles, websites, and newspapers. Of course statistics aren't fully reliable, but the numbers do give a certain perspective. HEALTH -Anorexia is the most fatal mental illness (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm) -Eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness in adolescent girls [Adolescent Medicine Committee, Canadian Paediatric Society. Eating disorders in adolescents: principles of diagnosis and treatment. Paediatrics and Child Health 1998; 3(3) 189-92 Reaffirmed January 2001.] -A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover -For females between 15 and 24 years of age with anoreixia nervosa, their mortality rate associated with their illness is twelve times higher than any other cause of death (Sullivan, 1995) -In a study of girls aged 9-15, more than 50 per cent claimed they exercised to lose weight, nearly 50 per cent claimed they reduced food intake in order to lose weight, and approximately 5 per cent claimed to use their parents' diet pills or laxatives in order to lose weight. -80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm) -81% of children ten years old are afraid of being fat (Mellin et al., 1991) CULTURE -Average American Woman- 5'4", 140 pounds -In the 1990's, the standard dress size for models was a size five. Now, it is a size two (Glamour's interview with Liv Tyler, February 2007). -Four out of ten Americans know someone with an eating disorder -Glamour magazine's Body Image survey showed that 76% of correspondents considered themselves "too fat," when over half of them were of healthy weight. -It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men. (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm) -200,000 to 300,000 Canadian women aged 13 to 40 have anorexia nervosa and twice as many have bulimia. http://www.annecollins.com/eating-disorders/statistics.htm) 1 in 3 of all dieters develop compulsive dieting attitudes and behaviors. Eating disorders are one of the most common psychological problems facing young women in Japan. (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm) -Celebrities with eating disorders:
MONEY -Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting products each year (Smolak, 1996). -That's $109 million per day. (http://www.annecollins.com/eating-disorders/statistics.htm) -Although there are over twice as many people with anorexia as there are with Alzhiemer's, it recieves 75% less research money. ($12,000,000 as opposed to $647,000,000.) It's the most dangerous and most underfunded of mental illnesses -Treatment of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 per day to $2,000 per day. The average cost for a month of inpatient treatment is $30,000. It is estimated that individuals with eating disorders need anywhere from 3 – 6 months of inpatient care. Health insurance companies for several reasons do not typically cover the cost of treating eating disorders (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm) -The cost of outpatient treatment, including therapy and medical monitoring, can extend to $100,000 or more (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm) |
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