Eating disorders can and do occur in teenagers, and even in young children. But it's during the college years that young people, especially young women, are most at risk for developing them.
Females. Women are considered to be the population most impacted by eating disorders, with studies indicating women have higher rates of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder than men (. 9%, 1.6%, and .
Anorexia is more common among girls and women than boys and men. Anorexia is also more common among girls and younger women than older women. On average, girls develop anorexia at 16 or 17. Teen girls between 13 and 19 and young women in their early 20s are most at risk.
The most common age of onset is between 12-25. Although much more common in females, 10 percent of cases detected are in males.
Eating disorders can occur in individuals of any age from children to older adults. However, studies show a peak in the occurrence of eating disorders during adolescence and early adulthood. Therefore, teenage girls and young women have the highest risk factor for developing eating disorders based on age.
Perfectionism. One of the strongest risk factors for an eating disorder is perfectionism, especially a type of perfectionism called self-oriented perfectionism, which involves setting unrealistically high expectations for yourself.
It is fair to say that the increasing rate of eating disorders, Japan has the highest rate of prevalence, followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. Then following are the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and Vietnam [7].
General Eating Disorder Statistics Eating disorders affect at least 9% of the population worldwide. 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. Less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight.”
The overall prevalence of eating disorders was 12.0% (16.4% for ballet dancers), 2.0% (4% for ballet dancers) for anorexia, 4.4% (2% for ballet dancers) for bulimia and 9.5% (14.9% for ballet dancers) for eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS).
An ongoing study in Minnesota has found incidence of anorexia increasing over the last 50 years only in females aged 15 to 24. Incidence remained stable in other age groups and in males.
The diagnosis of anorexia nervosa has become more common over the past 20 years. Approximately 90 percent are women between 12 and 25 years of age. Initially found mostly in upper- and middle-class families, anorexia nervosa is now known to affect both sexes and span all ages, socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial groups.
Women are considered to be the population most impacted by eating disorders, with studies indicating women have higher rates of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder than men (.9%, 1.6%, and .5% versus .3%, .8%, and .1%, respectively [1]. Many argue that this is the case because societal expectations on women’s appearance are more stringent than the expectations placed upon men. While this does not mean that men do not struggle with social pressures to appear a certain way, there does seem to be more money spent on beauty advertising directed toward women as well as more frequency and accepted social dialogue centering on women’s physical bodies and appearance than men’s. Regardless of the reasons, research makes it clear that women are more impacted by eating disorder beliefs and behaviors than any other population.
Adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to eating disorders due to the transitional changes they are experiencing mentally and physically. As their bodies change through puberty and development, teens may struggle with negative body image, increased emotion dysregulation, and social pressure to attain a certain appearance, all of which make them more at-risk for eating disorder behaviors.
All of this can lead to increased mental health issues and eating disorder behaviors may occur as a maladaptive coping skill or attempt to alter the changing body. A survey taken by the American College Health Association found that “3% of females and 0.4% of males reported ever receiving a diagnosis of anorexia; 2% of females and 0.2% of males reported a previous diagnosis of bulimia; and 4% of females and 1% of males reported vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight in the previous 30 days [3].” College students may also be more likely to engage in binge eating behaviors due to increased stress, adjusting to living on their own, or an inconsistent daily living schedule.
Men are less likely to report their eating disorders because they experience increased pressure to hide their emotional selves and are often stigmatized for openly discussing feelings or struggles. This also leads to men struggling with increased undiagnosed or untreated depression, making them more vulnerable to eating disorders as well.
Eating disorders impact approximately 9% of individuals globally. This number has been increasing steadily over the years and researchers have developed a more clear understanding of these disorders. Previously, eating disorders were believed to be Western disorders experienced by predominantly wealthy, young, white women. We now know they are much more far-reaching, impacting individuals of varying genders, sexual identities, ages, races, cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses.
The most important thing is to do the work to receive treatment for an eating disorder, regardless of the level of care recommended. It can be difficult to take time away from school, work, or relationships, however, recovery rates increase the sooner an individual receives the appropriate level of care necessary and more so if they continue to follow the recommendations of their Treatment Team.
Insurance coverage for eating disorder treatment can be difficult to find, however, treatment professionals can support you in finding care covered by your insurance and speaking with your insurance about why you require certain treatments and level of care. It is also possible for you to call your insurance to learn what eating disorder trained providers are in their network.
There are many pressures that dancers face both on and off stage that can lead to lack of confidence and unhealthy habits. Understanding the extreme expectations that dancers face on a daily basis can help paint a picture of why so many might develop an eating disorder.
Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Ballet. In the United States, eating disorders affect approximately 30 million Americans at some point in their lifetime, which is approximately 9% of the entire population. However, in dance, it’s estimated that 12% of dancers as a whole struggle with an eating disorder. Further, eating disorders in ballet dancers ...
Having an open dialogue with your teen on body image may help change their perception of themselves.
If your teen starts to compare themselves to others, encourage them to list or focus on their strengths and gifts that they contribute.
Within the world of dance, however, the pressures to constantly perform with such beauty and elegance can require a certain “dancer’s body type”. As a result, eating disorders are unfortunately common, especially among teenage girls who are developing both physically and mentally.
Competition. Like many professions, dance is a competitive one and, unfortunately, often has a lot to do with what a dancer looks like. In fact, dancers are part of the larger group of performing artists that encounter physique qualifications in job descriptions. Additionally, if you’re one of many in the “corps de ballet” ...
In the world of dance and sports particularly, many athletes and professional dancers are starting to speak out against body image expectations in competitions . For a teenager to hear this type of messaging around ballet and eating disorders from role models, it may make more of an impact than for a parent to be delivering it.