Anorexia Nervosa Statistics 2024: 14 Shocking Facts

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Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by extremely low body weight due to persistent and chronic energy restriction, and body image distortions comprised of an intense fear of weight gain.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder on the rise, and the seriousness of this illness is underscored by the fact that anorexia nervosa is associated with the highest mortality rates of all psychiatric disorders¹Arcelus J, Mitchell AJ, Wales J, et al. Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of general psychiatry. 2011;68(7):724-731..

In 2023, anorexia nervosa continues to be a devastating mental health condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. As we begin this year, it’s critical to understand the current state of anorexia nervosa and its alarming impact on individuals, families, and communities. Here are 12 shocking statistics that shed light on the reality of anorexia nervosa in 2023.

1. Based on international data, the lifetime prevalence of anorexia nervosa for females ranges from 0.3%-1.5% and for males range from 0.1%-0.5%²Keski-Rahkonen A, Raevuori A, Hoek HW. Epidemiology of eating disorders: an update. Annual Review of Eating Disorders: CRC Press 2018:66-76..
2. Anorexia nervosa has a mortality rate that is around 12 times higher than the mortality rates from all other causes³Arcelus J, Mitchell AJ, Wales J, et al. Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of general psychiatry. 2011;68(7):724-731..
3. Females with anorexia nervosa outnumber males with anorexia nervosa on a 10:1 ratio⁴Keski-Rahkonen A, Raevuori A, Hoek HW. Epidemiology of eating disorders: an update. Annual Review of Eating Disorders: CRC Press 2018:66-76..
4. 11% of adolescent boys/girls with diabetes repeatedly skip meals for weight loss purposes ⁵ Daniel, L., Haile, D., & Egata, G. (2023). Disordered Eating Behaviours and Body Shape Dissatisfaction among Diabetic Adolescents: a Cross sectional study. .
5. Nearly 1 in 10 people with autism spectrum disorder meet diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa ⁶ McCrossin, R. (2023). Finding the Proportion of Females with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Who Develop Anorexia Nervosa, the True Prevalence of Female ASD and Its Clinical Significance. Children, 10(2), 272 .
6. Endothelial dysfunction is observed in 46% of former patients with anorexia nervosa ⁷ Springall, G. A., Caughey, M., Zannino, D., Kyprianou, K., Mynard, J. P., Rudolph, S., … & Cheung, M. M. (2023). Long-term cardiovascular consequences of adolescent anorexia nervosa. Pediatric Research, 1-8. .
7. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for anorexia nervosa, which is the percentage of observed deaths in the study population divided by the percentage of expected deaths in the entire population of origin, is 5.9 ⁸Arcelus J, Mitchell AJ, Wales J, et al. Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of general psychiatry. 2011;68(7):724-731..
8. 25% who recover from anorexia nervosa after treatment may relapse ⁹Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2003;361:407-416..
9. 60% of anorexia nervosa-related deaths are attributed to sudden cardiac arrest, organ failure, or suicide ¹⁰Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2003;361:407-416..
10. The average age of onset is 16-17 years, although more and more younger children are becoming affected ¹¹Keski-Rahkonen A, Raevuori A, Hoek HW. Epidemiology of eating disorders: an update. Annual Review of Eating Disorders: CRC Press 2018:66-76..
11. Of those who do survive, 60% may make a full recovery ¹²Garner DM, Bemis KM. A cognitive-behavioral approach to anorexia nervosa. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 1982;6:123-150..
12. 25% may experience a diagnostic cross-over to bulimia nervosa¹³Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2003;361:407-416..
13. In the Netherlands, from 1985-2019, the incidence of Anorexia Nervosa among 10- to 14-year-old females increased significantly from 8.6 to 38.6 per 100,000 people ¹⁴van Eeden, A.E. et al. (2023) ‘Increase in incidence of anorexia nervosa among 10‐ to 14‐year‐old girls: A nationwide study in the Netherlands over four decades’, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 56(12), pp. 2295–2303. doi:10.1002/eat.24064..
14. A Meta-analysis found, the average relapse rate of Anorexia Nervosa to be 37% during an average follow up period of 31 months¹⁵de Rijk, E.S. et al. (2023) ‘An overview and investigation of relapse predictors in anorexia nervosa: A systematic review and meta‐analysis’, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 57(1), pp. 3–26. doi:10.1002/eat.24059. .

This article will have ideally provided you with additional insight into anorexia and its impact.

Now I’d like to turn it over to you, what was the most surprising or interesting statistic from this guide?

Let me know by leaving a comment below.