From these graphs on eating disorders, you can see that bulimia is the most prevalent eating disorder in the U.S., followed by binge eating disorder, followed by anorexia. The eating disorder charts below show how these disorders compare to each other. As you can see, bulimia is a condition in which a person binges, eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, then purges by making himself vomit and/or abusing laxatives. Binge eating disorder is a condition in which a person periodically eats excessive amounts of food at one time but does not purge, and anorexia is a condition in which a person does not eat enough to sustain good health or nutrition. The prevalence of all three disorders may surprise you.
Healthy Dieting vs Anorexia
As these graphs on eating disorders show, healthy dieting is not at all like the pattern of eating you see in someone with anorexia, although someone with anorexia may try to deny that she has a problem and insist that she is simply on a diet. However, someone with anorexia is not really focused on her health; in fact, her behavior is very harmful to her health. Healthy dieters, on the other hand, do focus on their health. They want to lose weight to reach a healthy weight, which they then want to maintain. People with anorexia, on the other hand, lose so much weight they are not healthy and do not want to maintain a healthy weight at all.
Eating Disorders Comparison Chart
Individual symptoms and degrees of severity can vary. For
proper diagnosis, see a qualified mental health professional.
* lanugo: growth of fine hair on the body.
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These eating disorder charts compare anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder so you can see the similarities and differences between the three conditions.
All three conditions generally involve distorted body image, or at least an excessive emphasis on weight and appearance. People with anorexia often actually see themselves as fat when they look in the mirror, while people with bulimia or binge eating disorder may see themselves more accurately. They just have disordered thoughts and beliefs about what they see. Learn more about how an unhealthy body image can cause eating disorders.
These graphs on eating disorders indicate that people with all three disorders suffer from emotional symptoms like depression and anxiety. These symptoms may contribute to the development of their eating disorders, but their eating disorders may also contribute to the development of depression and anxiety; it can be a vicious cycle.
These eating disorder charts also show that people with all three disorders have problems in relationships due to withdrawal from friends and family members. Of course, depression and anxiety also affect relationships with others.
Impact of Eating Disorders
While these graphs on eating disorders don’t explicitly show the impact eating disorders have on individuals, families and communities, you can easily read between the lines and see just how great that impact must be. These eating disorder charts show the serious physical complications of these disorders, including diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, heart problems and ulcers, which of course can be devastating. What these graphs on eating disorders don’t show is that as much as 20 percent of people with anorexia actually die from the condition; eating disorders can be deadly, and unfortunately, they often are. More on the physical and medical complications of eating disorders.
The impact of eating disorders on families is also great, as these conditions impact relationships in a huge way. In addition to the withdrawal from family members and friends that is so common, the stress of living with a seriously ill loved one puts a strain on families. To learn more on how eating disorders affect families, follow this link.
The financial impact can also be significant; treatment for eating disorders, including medical care for the many physical complications of these disorders, is expensive and insurance does not always provide adequate coverage. Our eating disorder charts here do not show financial information, but if they did, you would see that cost typically increases as a person’s illness progresses.