Eating Disorders Among Adolescents in the US: Statistics
In This Article
Eating disorders are a serious mental health problem. People who struggle with these have unhealthy ways of eating and thinking about food and their body.
These problems often start young and can cause harm when not addressed properly. They are a significant issue among adolescents in the US.
In this article, we’ll provide information to help you better understand their prevalence, impact, and the need for effective interventions.
Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among US Adolescents
About three out of every 100 (2.7%) teens between 13 and 18 will have an eating disorder at some point in their life.
The statistics show how important it is to help these teens early on to stop the problems from getting worse.
Gender-Related Statistics
The graph below shows the overall prevalence of eating disorders between males and females.
Important statistics between genders include:
- Overall prevalence: Eating disorders are more than twice as prevalent among females (3.8%) compared to males (1.5%).
- Anorexia Nervosa: This disorder is more common in females, with a prevalence ratio of approximately 10:1 when compared to males.
- Bulimia Nervosa: Similarly, bulimia nervosa is more prevalent among females, with a ratio of about 5:1.
- Binge Eating Disorder (BED): BED also shows a higher prevalence in females, with rates of 1.6% in females versus 0.8% in males.
Age-Related Statistics
The prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents shows some variation with age:
- Early adolescence (13-14 years): The prevalence is around 2.4%.
- Mid adolescence (15-16 years): The prevalence increases to approximately 2.8%.
- Late adolescence (17-18 years): The prevalence reaches about 3.0%. These statistics indicate that the likelihood of developing an eating disorder increases modestly with age during adolescence.
Trends in Eating Disorder Prevalence Over Time
The rates of eating disorders among adolescents have shown a notable increase over the past two decades, with several key points highlighting this trend:
- The prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents has markedly increased over the past 50 years, with a significant rise in recent decades.
- The prevalence of eating disorders in children and adolescents aged 11-19 years has been reported to be between 1.2% (boys) and 5.7% (girls), with increasing incidence over recent decades.
- Eating disorders are more prevalent among females than males. Girls are significantly more likely to report disordered eating (30.03%) compared to boys (16.98%).
- The proportion of disordered eating increases with age and body mass index (BMI). Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of eating disorders, with the median age at onset for disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder ranging from 12.3 to 12.6 years.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis covering 32 studies from 16 countries found that approximately 22% of children and adolescents showed disordered eating behaviors.
- This high proportion is concerning from a public health perspective and underscores the need for preventive strategies.
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Treatment Gap and Disparities
Despite the significant prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents, a large proportion of affected individuals do not receive professional treatment.
- Disparities exist based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
- Approximately 20% of adolescents with eating disorders seek professional treatment, indicating that a large majority of affected adolescents do not receive the professional help they need.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities
- Eating disorders affect ethnic minorities as much as Whites, with more overlapping risk factors shared among various ethnic groups than differences.
- Youth of color are less likely to receive recommended treatment for eating disorders compared to White youth, even after adjusting for insurance type and other demographic factors.
- Structural racism and provider bias contribute to disparities in the diagnosis, referral, and treatment of eating disorders among racial and ethnic minorities.
Socioeconomic Disparities
- Eating disorders are present across all socioeconomic status (SES) strata, contradicting the stereotype that they primarily affect individuals of higher SES.
- Adolescents from lower SES backgrounds have a higher prevalence of positive eating disorder screens compared to those from higher SES backgrounds.
- Adolescents with public insurance, who are more racially and ethnically diverse, face significant barriers to receiving recommended eating disorder treatments compared to those with private insurance.
- The intersection of SES with other social identities, such as race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation, reveals that certain groups, like lower SES Latinx sexual minority individuals, have particularly high rates of eating disorders.
The statistics presented here on eating disorders among US adolescents highlight the urgent need for increased awareness, prevention, and treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help.
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- A. Swanson, et al. “Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorders in Adolescents: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement.” Archives of General Psychiatry, 2011.
- “Eating Disorders.” National Institute of Mental Health.
- Lopez-Gil, J. F., et al. “Global Proportion of Disordered Eating in Children and Adolescents A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” JAMA Pediatrics, 2023.
- “Eating Disorder Statistics.” ANAD.
- Moreno, R., et al. “Disparities in Access to Eating Disorders Treatment for Publicly-Insured Youth and Youth of Color: A Retrospective Cohort Study.” Journal of Eating Disorders, 2023.
- McCarthy, Claire. “Eating Disorders Spike Among Children and Teens: What Parents Should Know.” Harvard Health Publishing, 2022.
- “Socioeconomic Status and Eating Disorder Prevalence: At the Intersections of Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race/Ethnicity.” Cambridge Core, 2022.