The Ultimate List Anorexia Nervosa Statistics for 2022

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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 through an intense fear of weight gain.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder on the rise, and 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..

Anorexia nervosa causes significant distress and impairment in an individual’s social, occupational, psychological, and educational functioning. Key statistics on anorexia nervosa are:

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. 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 ⁵Arcelus 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..
5. 25% who recover from anorexia nervosa after treatment may relapse ⁶Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2003;361:407-416..
6. 60% of anorexia nervosa-related deaths are attributed to sudden cardiac arrest, organ failure, or suicide ⁷Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2003;361:407-416..
7. The average age of onset is 16-17 years, although more and more younger children are becoming affected ⁸Keski-Rahkonen A, Raevuori A, Hoek HW. Epidemiology of eating disorders: an update. Annual Review of Eating Disorders: CRC Press 2018:66-76..
8. Of those who do survive, 60% may make a full recovery ⁹Garner DM, Bemis KM. A cognitive-behavioral approach to anorexia nervosa. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 1982;6:123-150..
9. 25% may experience a diagnostic cross-over to bulimia nervosa¹⁰Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2003;361:407-416..

This article will have ideally provided you with additional insight toward 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?

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