Eating Disorders Statistics
From NIMH, for About.com
Statistics on eating disorders and teen body image:42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner (Collins, 1991).
81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat (Mellin et al., 1991).
The average American woman is 5’4" tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5’11" tall and weighs 117 pounds.
Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women (Smolak, 1996).
51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet (Mellin et al., 1991).
46% of 9-11 year-olds are "sometimes" or "very often" on diets, and 82% of their families are "sometimes" or "very often" on diets (Gustafson-Larson & Terry, 1992).
91% of women recently surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, 22% dieted "often" or "always" (Kurth et al., 1995).
95% of all dieters will regain their lost weight in 1-5 years (Grodstein, 1996).
35% of "normal dieters" progress to pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25% progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders (Shisslak & Crago, 1995).
25% of American men and 45% of American women are on a diet on any given day (Smolak, 1996).
Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting and diet-related products each year (Smolak, 1996).
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