Health · Mental Health · 2 hrs ago
Anorexia and bulimia cases rose 71% globally from 1990 to 2023
A global analysis estimates that anorexia and bulimia rose 71% from 1990 to 2023 across 204 countries and territories.
By 2023, about 18.1 million people had one of the two disorders.
The conditions were linked to 3.83 million years of healthy life lost worldwide in 2023.
Researchers project that the two disorders could affect 21.8 million people by 2050.
The estimate covers only anorexia and bulimia, not other eating disorders, so it does not capture the full scale of the problem.
Clinicians say some patients are misusing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and that the drugs may worsen eating-disorder symptoms, but the analysis did not investigate the causes of the rise.
Social media comparisons, diet trends and pressure to be thin may contribute, and researchers expect the numbers to keep increasing.
The incidence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa rose by 71% globally from 1990 to 2023, according to a new study.
An estimated 18.1 million people worldwide had one of the two disorders in 2023.
Researchers estimate the disorders cost the world 3.83 million years of healthy life in 2023.
The study’s researchers project that the two conditions could affect 21.8 million people by 2050.
A clinical psychologist interviewed by MIT Technology Review said some patients are misusing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
- Who
- Researchers led by Ruhai Bai at the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University studied anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
- What
- Their study estimated that the global incidence of the two disorders rose 71% from 1990 to 2023.
- When
- The study covers 1990 to 2023 and was published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday.
- Where
- The study examined 204 countries and territories.
- Why
- The researchers did not investigate the reasons for the rise. Bai said population growth alone could not explain it.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers estimated the annual incidence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa across 204 countries and territories.
An estimated 18.1 million people had anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, and the disorders accounted for 3.83 million years of healthy life lost.
The researchers project that the two disorders could affect 21.8 million people.
- Change in incidence
- 71% increase from 1990 to 2023
- People affected
- 18.1 million in 2023
- Healthy life lost
- 3.83 million years in 2023
- Study coverage
- 204 countries and territories
- Projection
- 21.8 million people affected by 2050
What people are saying
cost the world the equivalent of about 3.83 million years of healthy life
This is the worst I’ve seen things
probably three times the rate that they’re reporting
Social media comparisons, influencers, challenges, diet trends can all be precipitating … events for an eating disorder