Scientists have estimated the prevalence of anorexia and bulimia in the world
Eating disorders can seriously affect not only a person's relationship with food, but also their physical and mental health. However, such disorders often begin in adolescence and can persist for years. A new global assessment has shown that the number of people with anorexia nervosa and bulimia continues to increase. The scale of the problem, the age characteristics of the two disorders, and the predictions of scientists are described in the Izvestia article.
How has the number of cases changed
In 2023, about 18.1 million people worldwide suffered from anorexia or bulimia. From 1990 to 2023, the total number of people with these disorders increased by 71%. Such data was obtained by the authors of the study as part of the Global Burden of Disease project, which covered 204 countries and territories. The results are published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Of the total number, about 3.92 million people suffered from anorexia nervosa, and another 14.2 million suffered from bulimia nervosa. However, the increase in the absolute number of people with these disorders should not be confused with an increase in age-adjusted prevalence. The latter indicator increased by 20.6% over the same period. The difference between these indicators is influenced, among other things, by population growth: age-standardized prevalence allows you to compare indicators taking into account differences in age structure.
The researchers used data from scientific publications, population surveys, and mortality registration systems. Based on them, they estimated the prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia, the associated burden of health disorders, and mortality from anorexia nervosa. Other eating disorders were not included in the analysis. Separately, scientists have calculated the possible dynamics of these indicators until 2050.
Who is more likely to experience anorexia
Women accounted for 69.4% of all cases, men accounted for 30.6%. At the same time, eating disorders are not an exclusively female problem: in 2023, about 5.5 million men lived with them. Among all people with these disorders, 41.2% were people aged 10 to 24 years. The overall prevalence of anorexia and bulimia peaked in the age group of 20-24 years.
In anorexia nervosa, the age peak turned out to be earlier: scientists recorded the greatest prevalence among adolescents aged 15-19 years. This shows that the highest prevalence of the disease occurs in adolescence, although it can develop later.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person intentionally restricts the amount of food in an effort to reduce weight or prevent it from increasing. The disease is characterized by a strong fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one's own body: even with dangerously low body weight, a person may consider himself overweight. Prolonged malnutrition can lead to disorders of the heart, hormonal system and other organs.
When bulimia manifests itself
Unlike anorexia, bulimia peaked at the age of 30-34 years. From 1990 to 2023, the number of cases of bulimia increased by 75.1%, and anorexia by 57.9%. The age-standardized prevalence increased by 21.7% and 17%, respectively. Thus, the increase in the absolute number of cases was more noticeable than the change in indicators taking into account the age structure of the population.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which repeated bouts of overeating occur with a feeling of loss of control over the amount of food eaten. After them, a person tries to compensate for what they have eaten: for example, causes vomiting, restricts nutrition, or overly exercises. Unlike anorexia, with bulimia, body weight can remain within the normal range, so the disease is not always noticeable to others.
Both disorders can have serious consequences, but the mechanisms of eating disorders vary. Scientists emphasize that such conditions cannot be reduced to character traits or lack of self-control: they are associated with a combination of biological, psychological and social factors and can be accompanied by long-term physical, psychological and social consequences.
How the situation is changing in different countries
The researchers found the highest age-standardized prevalence rates of the two disorders together in Australasia — 946.4 cases per 100,000 people. The lowest values were recorded in Central Africa, south of the Sahara — 114.8 per 100 thousand. However, the authors note that international comparisons require caution: epidemiological data are not equally available in different regions, and differences in diagnosis and collection of statistics may affect the final estimates.
The most noticeable increase in the age-standardized prevalence in 1990-2023 occurred in East Asia, by 61.5%. This was followed by South Asia with an increase of 48.5% and Southeast Asia with an increase of 44.2%. Thus, the regions with the highest current rates do not necessarily show the fastest growth.
Disorders also lead to a significant loss of healthy years of life. In 2023, anorexia and bulimia together accounted for 3.83 million years of life, adjusted for disability (DALY). This indicator takes into account the years lost due to premature death and the years lived with health problems. Since 1990, the total number of DALYs has increased by 70.5%. Separately, the authors estimated the number of deaths from anorexia: in 2023, it amounted to 237 cases. The researchers were unable to reliably estimate mortality from bulimia due to the extremely limited amount of data.
According to the forecast, by 2050 the number of people with anorexia or bulimia may reach 21.8 million, which is about 20.3% more than in 2023. The authors believe that the results indicate the need to improve the monitoring of eating disorders, identify them at an early stage, and expand the availability of care. At the same time, the forecast reflects the calculated dynamics, rather than the guaranteed future number of people with these diseases.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
