The statistics on bulimia are startling. For instance, bulimia statistics tell us that about one and a half million people in the U.S. alone are bulimic. Four percent of collage-aged women are bulimic. And, while purging alone does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of bulimia, about 13 percent of high school girls purge.
What Is Bulimia?
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which a person binges (eats a very large amount of food within a short period of time) and purges (rids themselves of the food, usually by vomiting). The abuse of diet pills and laxatives is also common with bulimia. In addition, bulimic people may exercise obsessively.
As mentioned earlier, bulimia is surprisingly common. The statistics on bulimia tell us that it’s most prevalent among Caucasians, and at least 95 percent of all bulimics are female. It’s most common during the late teens and twenties, but has been found to occur in children as young as six years old and can certainly occur in older adults as well.
The bulimia statistics don’t tell us what causes the disorder. Bulimia is far more common in industrialized, westernized countries where we are inundated with media images of thin women. The average American fashion model is 5’9” to 6’ tall, while the average American woman is only 5’4” tall. The average American fashion model weighs 110 to 118 pounds, while the average American woman weighs 142 pounds. Women often try to emulate the near-impossible appearance of the fashion models, and this can lead to eating disorders.
There are many other factors that can affect the odds of someone becoming bulimic. Some of these factors include a history of sexual abuse, genetic predisposition, and underlying mental health disorders such as depression. The statistics on bulimia also tell us that women with a history of dieting are more likely to develop eating disorders than women without a history of dieting. There are also a number of medical conditions that can cause bulimia as a symptom.
More on the signs and symptoms, and medical complications of bulimia.
Some Bulimia Statistics
Here are some bulimia statistics to consider:
- About two percent of all adolescents and young women are bulimic.
- 5 to 15 percent of all adult women have some symptoms of the disorder.
- 84 percent of all bulimics have some college education.
- 64 percent of all bulimics have a near-normal body weight.
- 70 percent of all bulimics also suffer from moderate to severe depression.
- Statistics on bulimia tell us that people with bulimia binge, on average, 11 times per week.
- Males on a wrestling team are 7 to 10 times more likely to develop bulimia than those who do not participate on a wrestling team.
- Homosexual males are more likely to develop bulimia than heterosexual males.
- People who frequently change diets are 18 times more likely to become anorexic or bulimic than their counterparts.
- Children of mothers that diet are more likely to develop eating disorders like bulimia.
- Half of all anorexics also develop bulimic tendencies.
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Bulimia Statistics on Recovery
The successful treatment of bulimia includes both medical and psychological treatment. Nutritional counseling and education is also important. Treatment needs to be ongoing, lasting a total of three to six months or more.
The statistics on bulimia tell us that as many as 80 percent of bulimics who receive treatment achieve remission within three months. However, relapse is common. As many as 25 percent continue to meet the diagnostic criteria for bulimia a year later.
Without treatment, eating disorders can be fatal in as many as 20 percent of all cases. Learn more about getting help for bulimia.