The following includes recent statistics on the prevalance and severity of eating disorders.

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Up to 10% of women with anorexia may die

Risk of death among individuals with anorexia is twelve times more likely than same-age peers without anorexia

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition

Up to 1% of the population has anorexia

1-3% of the population has bulimia

Up to 3% of the population has binge-eating disorder

9 in 10 college-age women, and up to 20% of the population, experience disordered eating behavior patterns

11% of youth are obese (20% above their 'ideal body weight')

66% of adults are overweight and 33% are obese

One-third of college-age female athletes have some form of disordered eating

2-3% of college-age female athletes have a diagnosable eating disorder

55% of college-age female athletes report feeling pressure to lose weight

Athletes involved in image-sensitive sports (running, cheer, cycling, swimming, dance, wrestling, gymnastics, diving, etc) are at higher risk to develop eating disorders

16% of newly diagnosed eating disorders are males

Eating disorders affect ages 2 and up. Although most cases are still in females ages 12-25, statistics report rising numbers of diagnoses amongst pre-adolescents, adults and the elderly of both genders

White, Caucasian women are still at highest risk to develop anorexia, but rising incidence is now reported amongst other ethnicities, including African-American, Asian and Hispanic populations

The #1 wish of girls age 11-17 is to lose weight. When shown descriptive pictures, girls prefer to be 'stupid', 'paraplegic' or 'run over by a truck' to being fat

When shown composite pictures, boys age 11-17 preferred a physical ideal only possible through use of steroids

40% of fourth graders report that they diet either "very often" or "sometimes."

80% of fourth graders report fears of 'being fat'

Between 10% and 15% of those diagnosed with bulimia nervosa are men

In the United States, conservative estimates indicate that, after puberty, 5-10 million girls and women and 1 million boys and men are struggling with eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or borderline conditions