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Break Binge Eating > Research > 2024 Binge-Eating Disorder Statistics: 61 Unthinkable Facts
2024 Binge-Eating Disorder Statistics: 61 Unthinkable Facts

2024 Binge-Eating Disorder Statistics: 61 Unthinkable Facts

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If you’re wanting to keep up-to-date with the latest research and statistics related to binge-eating disorder (BED), then look no further.

Here I wanted to take to the opportunity to highlight the most important statistics on binge-eating disorder to emerge over the last few years.

Awareness of binge-eating disorder and its devastating impact is fundamental if we are to reduce encourage help-seeking, reduce any stigma, and show care and compassion towards those affected.

All of this is so urgently needed given that up to 23% of people with binge-eating disorder attempted suicide 1Keski-Rahkonen, Anna. “Epidemiology of binge eating disorder: prevalence, course, comorbidity, and risk factors.” Current opinion in psychiatry 34.6 (2021): 525-531.

Before we dive in, it’s important to quickly reiterate what Binge Eating Disorder is and why it’s such an important eating disorder.

What is Binge-Eating Disorder?

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder that is characterised by recurrent episodes (once weekly on average) of binge eating without the use of inappropriate compensatory behaviours, like self-induced vomiting, fasting, or laxative abuse.

A binge episode is defined as eating a really large amount of food (around 1500 calories or more) in a short period of time (around 2 hours), accompanied by a sense of complete loss of control.

BED is an interesting eating disorder because it wasn’t officially recognized as a mental health disorder until the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders was published in 2013.

It is one of the most common eating disorders and is associated with many different medical, psychological, and social complications.

Understanding the latest statistics related to BED is a first step needed to reduce the stigma around this eating disorder and to increase more awareness.

Let’s dive into hard facts.

Epidemiology Statistics

  1. The point prevalence of BED in children worldwide is 0.7%2Rozzell, K., Klimek, P., Brown, T., & Blashill, A. J. (2019). Prevalence of eating disorders among us children aged 9 to 10 years: data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. JAMA pediatrics, 173(1), 100-101.
  2. The one-year point prevalence of BED adults is 1.1 %3Erskine, H. E., & Whiteford, H. A. (2018). Epidemiology of binge eating disorder. Current opinion in psychiatry, 31(6), 462-470
  3. The lifetime prevalence of BED in adults is 2.3%4Erskine, H. E., & Whiteford, H. A. (2018). Epidemiology of binge eating disorder. Current opinion in psychiatry, 31(6), 462-470
  4. By 2030, it is estimated that around half a million US men will have BED5STRIPED Harvard. 2020. Report: Economic Costs Of Eating Disorders. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders.
  5. By 2030, it is estimated that around 1.5 million US women will have BED6STRIPED Harvard. 2020. Report: Economic Costs Of Eating Disorders. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders.
  6. One year prevalence of BED in men is 0.26%, with men aged 10-19 years having the highest prevalence (0.48%)7STRIPED Harvard. 2020. Report: Economic Costs Of Eating Disorders. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders.
  7. Women aged 20-29 years have the highest BED prevalence rates, estimated to be 2.09%8STRIPED Harvard. 2020. Report: Economic Costs Of Eating Disorders. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders.
  8. The mean age of BED onset is 25 years, which is much higher than bulimia and anorexia nervosa9Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  9. 1.32% of children/adolescents have binge-eating disorder 10 Kjeldbjerg, M. L., & Clausen, L. (2021). Prevalence of binge-eating disorder among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1-26
  10. 3% of children/adolescents have subclinical binge-eating disorder 11 Kjeldbjerg, M. L., & Clausen, L. (2021). Prevalence of binge-eating disorder among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1-26
  11. A formal binge-eating disorder diagnosis is established 3 years after the onset of symptoms 12 Gill, S. K., & Kaplan, A. S. (2021). A retrospective chart review study of symptom onset, diagnosis, comorbidities, and treatment in patients with binge eating disorder in Canadian clinical practice. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 26(4), 1233-1242
  12. 8.5% of Danish adolescents report weekly binge eating 13 Olsen, E. M., Koch, S. V., Skovgaard, A. M., & Strandberg‐Larsen, K. (2021). Self‐reported symptoms of binge‐eating disorder among adolescents in a community‐based Danish cohort—A study of prevalence, correlates, and impact. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(4), 492-505.
  13. 13% of gender diverse individuals reported an eating disorder of recurrent binge eating 14 Grammer, A. C., Vázquez, M. M., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Fowler, L. A., Rackoff, G. N., Schvey, N. A., … & Wilfley, D. E. (2021). Characterizing eating disorder diagnosis and related outcomes by sexual orientation and gender identity in a national sample of college students. Eating Behaviors, 42, 101528.
  14. 30% of Slovenian adults report clinically significant binge eating symptoms 15 Bizjak, M. Č., & Adamič, K. (2023). Binge eating in a Slovenian population-based sample of adults. Slovenian Journal of Public Health, 62(1), 39-47 .
  15. Each additional hour of total screen time per day was associated with 1.11 higher odds of binge-eating disorder 16 Nagata, J. M., Iyer, P., Chu, J., Baker, F. C., Pettee Gabriel, K., Garber, A. K., … & Ganson, K. T. (2021). Contemporary screen time modalities among children 9–10 years old and binge‐eating disorder at one‐year follow‐up: A prospective cohort study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(5), 887-892

Broader Impacts of Binge-Eating Disorder

The following statistics are related to 2018-29, and come from STRIPED’s report on the economic costs of eating disorders17STRIPED Harvard. 2020. Report: Economic Costs Of Eating Disorders. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders.

  1. The cost of BED on the US healthcare system was estimated to be $1.2 billion.
  2. The costs of BED outside of the US healthcare system was estimated to be $19.4 billion.
  3. The annual hospitalisation cost associated with BED was estimated to be $14.4 million.
  4. The annual emergency department costs associated with BED was estimated to be $2 million.
  5. Outpatient care costs for BED was estimated to be $1.1 million
  6. Reduced workforce participation associated with BED was estimated at 20%
  7. Workforce absenteeism associated with BED was estimated to cost $1,5 billion

Binge-Eating Disorder Treatment Statistics

  1. Between 90-96% of individuals who received treatment for binge-eating disorder reported improvements in their overall wellbeing 18 Gill, S. K., & Kaplan, A. S. (2021). A retrospective chart review study of symptom onset, diagnosis, comorbidities, and treatment in patients with binge eating disorder in Canadian clinical practice. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 26(4), 1233-1242
  2. 58% of adults who complete a full course of CBT with a therapist are expected to fully recover19Linardon, J. (2018). Rates of abstinence following psychological or behavioral treatments for binge-eating disorder: Meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1-13. doi:10.1002/eat.22897
  3. 35% of adults who try a self-help approach based on CBT principles are expected to fully recover20Linardon, J. (2018). Rates of abstinence following psychological or behavioral treatments for binge-eating disorder: Meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1-13. doi:10.1002/eat.22897
  4. Around 40% of adults with BED are expected to recover after receiving Dasotraline21Grilo, C. M., McElroy, S. L., Hudson, J. I., Tsai, J., Navia, B., Goldman, R., … & Loebel, A. (2020). Efficacy and safety of dasotraline in adults with binge-eating disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical trial. CNS spectrums, 1-10.
  5. 22% of adults with BED drop out early from treatment due to dissatisfaction22Linardon, J., Hindle, A., & Brennan, L. (2018). Dropout from cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51, 381-391. doi:10.1002/eat.22850
  6. One smaller study found an 80% recovery rate for adults who completed a course of CBT and orlistat23Grilo, C. M., Masheb, R. M., & Salant, S. L. (2005). Cognitive behavioral therapy guided self-help and orlistat for the treatment of binge eating disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Biological psychiatry, 57, 1193-1201
  7. Nearly 45% of people with BED reduce their binge eating by 45% within just four weeks of treatment24Grilo, C. M., Masheb, R. M., & Wilson, G. T. (2006). Rapid response to treatment for binge eating disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 602-613
  8. 36% of adults with BED are expected to recover after receiving a guided CBT self-help program delivered over the internet25de Zwaan, M., Herpertz, S., Zipfel, S., Svaldi, J., Friederich, H.-C., Schmidt, F., . . . Schade-Brittinger, C. (2017). Effect of Internet-Based Guided Self-help vs Individual Face-to-Face Treatment on Full or Subsyndromal Binge Eating Disorder in Overweight or Obese Patients: The INTERBED Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 74, 987-995.
  9. 43% of people with BED have received psychological treatment at some point in their lives26Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  10. 28% of people with BED have received treatment in the past 12 months27Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  11. 60% of adults with BED are not sure whether they need to receive help28Linardon, J., Rosato, J., & Messer, M. (2020). Break Binge Eating: Reach, engagement, and user profile of an Internet-based psychoeducational and self-help platform for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53, 1719-1728

Health Effects of Binge-Eating Disorder

  1. Up to 23% of people with binge-eating disorder attempted suicide 29Keski-Rahkonen, Anna. “Epidemiology of binge eating disorder: prevalence, course, comorbidity, and risk factors.” Current opinion in psychiatry 34.6 (2021): 525-531
  2. 94% of people with binge-eating disorder reported a comorbid mental health problem 30Keski-Rahkonen, Anna. “Epidemiology of binge eating disorder: prevalence, course, comorbidity, and risk factors.” Current opinion in psychiatry 34.6 (2021): 525-531
  3. Mood disorders represent the most common comorbidity among BED, with 70% meeting criteria31Keski-Rahkonen, Anna. “Epidemiology of binge eating disorder: prevalence, course, comorbidity, and risk factors.” Current opinion in psychiatry 34.6 (2021): 525-531
  4. Nearly 40% of people with binge-eating disorder are obese 32 Heal, D. J., & Smith, S. L. (2021). Prospects for new drugs to treat binge-eating disorder: Insights from psychopathology and neuropharmacology. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 02698811211032475
  5. 1 in 4 people with binge-eating disorder have a metabolic comorbidity 33 Gill, S. K., & Kaplan, A. S. (2021). A retrospective chart review study of symptom onset, diagnosis, comorbidities, and treatment in patients with binge eating disorder in Canadian clinical practice. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 26(4), 1233-1242
  6. 20% of people with binge-eating disorder also have an alcohol use disorder 34 Bogusz, K., Kopera, M., Jakubczyk, A., Trucco, E. M., Kucharska, K., Walenda, A., & Wojnar, M. (2021). Prevalence of alcohol use disorder among individuals who binge eat: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Addiction
  7. The risk for an alcohol use disorder is 1.5 times higher in binge-eating disorder than for healthy controls 35 Bogusz, K., Kopera, M., Jakubczyk, A., Trucco, E. M., Kucharska, K., Walenda, A., & Wojnar, M. (2021). Prevalence of alcohol use disorder among individuals who binge eat: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Addiction
  8. The standardized mortality ratio for BED is estimated to be 1.92, comparable to BN (SMR = 1.93) but substantially lower than AN (SMR = 5.86)36Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of general psychiatry, 68(7), 724-731.
  9. 34% of adolescents with BED express suicidal ideation37STRIPED Harvard. 2020. Report: Economic Costs Of Eating Disorders. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders.
  10. Each additional day an adolescent binge eats, the odds of engaging in physical violence was 5% higher 38 Chu, J., Raney, J. H., Ganson, K. T., Wu, K., Rupanagunta, A., Testa, A., … & Nagata, J. M. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and binge-eating disorder in early adolescents. Journal of eating disorders, 10(1), 1-7. .
  11. 15% of adults with BED have considered morbidly obese39Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  12. 62% of adults with BED report at least some level of home, work, social life, or personal life impairment40Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  13. 65% of people with BED have a comorbid anxiety disorder41Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  14. 46% of people with BED have a comorbid mood disorder42Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  15. 43% of people with BED have a comorbid impulse control disorder43Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  16. 23% of people with BED have a comorbid substance abuse disorder44Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  17. 78% of people with BED have another psychiatric comorbidity45Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  18. Nearly 50% of people with BED have three or more comorbid psychiatric disorders46Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope Jr, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358.
  19. 76% of adults with BED express significant concerns about their symptoms and the impact it is having on their functioning47Linardon, J., Rosato, J., & Messer, M. (2020). Break Binge Eating: Reach, engagement, and user profile of an Internet-based psychoeducational and self-help platform for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53, 1719-1728
  20. It is estimated that 30% of patients with Binge-Eating Disorder are affected by obesity 48 Minari, T.P. et al. (2024) ‘Effects of mindful eating in patients with obesity and binge eating disorder’, Nutrients, 16(6), p. 884. doi:10.3390/nu16060884. .
  21. 5-66% of obese patients seeking to lose weight, 10-25% of patients with Type 2 diabetes, and above 70% of Type 2 patients with morbid obesity have Binge-Eating Disorder 49Starostina, E.G. and Ananyan, M.V. (2024) ‘Binge eating disorder: Epidemiological, clinical, pathophysiological, and treatment aspects’, Diabetes mellitus, 27(1), pp. 81–92. doi:10.14341/dm13122. .

The Natural Course of Binge-Eating Disorder

  1. ~8% of people with BED may cross over to a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa50Castellini G, Lo Sauro C, Mannucci E, et al. Diagnostic crossover and outcome predictors in eating disorders according to DSM-IV and DSM-V proposed criteria: A 6-year follow-up study. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2011;73:270-279.
  2. 42% of women hospitalized with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome screened positive for binge-eating disorder 51 Suchta, K., Smolarczyk, R., Czajkowski, K., Rudnicka, E., & Kokoszka, A. (2023). Binge Eating Disorder—The Point Prevalence among Polish Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Validity of Screening Tool for This Population. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 546.
  3. ~11% who recover from BED after treatment may relapse52Castellini G, Lo Sauro C, Mannucci E, et al. Diagnostic crossover and outcome predictors in eating disorders according to DSM-IV and DSM-V proposed criteria: A 6-year follow-up study. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2011;73:270-279.
  4. Around 50% of the risk for BED is genetic53Trace, S. E., Baker, J. H., Peñas-Lledó, E., & Bulik, C. M. (2013). The genetics of eating disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 589-620..
  5. 15% of adults with BED may show a pattern of spontaneous recovery54Linardon, J. (2018). Rates of abstinence following psychological or behavioral treatments for binge-eating disorder: Meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1-13. doi:10.1002/eat.22897.

Hopefully, these facts and statistics have provided you with additional insight into binge-eating disorder and its impact.

Now I’d like to turn it over to you, what statistic surprised you the most?

Let me know by leaving a comment below.

References[+]

About Dr Jake Linardon

Dr Jake Linardon, PhD, is the founder of Break Binge Eating and a Research Fellow and Lecturer of Psychology at Deakin University, Melbourne Australia. He studies the causes, consequences, and treatments for eating disorders. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on eating disorders, and serves as an editorial board member for the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

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